


A Little Birdie Told Me

by Rangerskirt



Category: RWBY
Genre: Aged Down Characters (James 24 and Qrow 20), Alternate Universe, Angst, Anxiety, Blood and Violence, Confessions, Crying, Cuddling, Drama, Dysphoria, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Family, Fluff, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Kisses, M/M, Minor Self Harm, Nightmares, No Maidens, Panic Attacks, Past Child Abuse, Physical Trauma, Qrow Whump, Romance, Slow Burn, Swearing, Torture, brief suicide(Non major character), injuries, mental trauma, touch starved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:02:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 35,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21678697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rangerskirt/pseuds/Rangerskirt
Summary: James gladly works for Ozpin, Qrow reluctantly serves Salem. When the two meet they clash but along the journey to rid Remnant of Salem once and for all the two might find just what they need in the other.----A slightly alternated universe of rwby where Qrow is taken by Salem as a child and raised/forced to do her bidding until James captures/rescues him years later.
Relationships: Minor/Brief - STR Poly, Qrow Branwen/James Ironwood
Comments: 18
Kudos: 129





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> World changes I couldn't figure out where to slip into the story:  
> -There are no maidens  
> -Qrow's semblance is turning into a crow (no bad luck but he has that anyway)  
> -I've embellished some magic gifts Oz and Salem can perform (aka magic bullets, allowing Qrow to summon and dismiss his weapon, and the magic tether, etc)

Salem had always been greatly fond of blackbirds. Dark and ominous little creatures known for bad luck and signs of death, how could she not love that?

So when two tiny black birds wound up in her midst one day, all she could do was grin.

///

Qrow flew towards Mistral, or more specifically Haven Academy to see a certain headmaster that had not been holding up his end of the bargain for their evil mistress as of late. Professor Lionheart wasn't a bad person deep down but he was the biggest coward Qrow had ever met making him an easy pawn to Salem, Qrow didn't know the details but he must have outrun his use or pissed her off greatly to send him out for a job like this.

He had lost track of time being kept in his tiny cage at the dark palace Salem called home, being able to spread his wings brought life back to Qrow's body. Wind in his feathers, an open beautiful sky letting him cross without problems over the large jungle far below him.

This was as free as Qrow could feel, no matter how far he strayed from Salem her magic tether was wrapped as an invisible leash around his being. She would always find him no matter where he hid, and if he defied her she would sense it and punish him, it had been a long time since the last time he'd tried that.

Qrow was making good time pushing himself hard in his flight, he wished he could take it easy and just enjoy his surroundings but keeping evil waiting was not a good idea. Still, he was only mortal and the grumbling in his stomach reminded him of such along with the weary agony in his wings, slowly he decided and landed on a low branch in the jungle.

He'd always thought of himself as an unlucky bird but maybe good luck was on his side today, instead of having to scavenge for critters or bugs to eat Qrow spotted a single human trudging through the jungle below. Huntsmen by the looks of it, he had equipment suited for the forest, two guns, relatively young maybe mid-twenties, with dark and well-kept hair.

Swooping down Qrow landed on the man's backpack and started pecking at it, diving in looking for bread or anything he could steal and run away with.

"Ah!" the man cried out in surprise but didn't swat the bird away, instead he stilled and chuckled. "Interesting..." Startled at a movement Qrow flew back to his branch only to see the man taking his pack off and digging out a bag of sliced apples and throwing one on the ground between them.

Tilting his head Qrow stared for a long moment with his piercing red eyes before swooping down and eating the apple off the ground, there was no way a normal human would know what he was so what was the danger in taking the food? Lifting his head Qrow squawked asking for more.

Throwing another piece slightly closer Qrow then hopped forward and ate it up before repeating the act several times, each time getting closer and closer by a few steps.

"Stupid bird, you should be careful there's a lot to be afraid of in this place." the man said calmly as he knelt on the ground as Qrow became almost within touching distance, "But I suppose you'd have no issues with Grimm so why worry?"

Something about that tone just now felt rigid and not quite right, red flags went off in Qrow's mind and just as he raised his wings ready to take off a single gloved hand grabbed his small feathery body and squeezed hard so that he couldn't get away. Qrow struggled and made loud screeches, pecking at the offending hand anywhere that he could reach but instead of flesh he felt only metal under the fabric that he couldn't penetrate.

"I know what you are, I've been looking for you." the man raised one of his guns and readied it to shoot, the tip began to glow a golden color and along with it the dark swirling black magic rope that tethered Qrow to Salem made itself visible to the naked eye. Qrow had only seen it a few times for different reasons but the last had been a very long time ago, seeing it again sent a vein of dread through him.

Whatever was loaded in that gun was magical and meant specifically for him, still struggling Qrow clenched his eyes to steel himself and prepare for sudden death, it was scary but also a relief that all of his pain would finally end even if he wasn't ready to die yet. The shot fired, there was a tingling feeling but not from being shot so Qrow opened his eyes.

The black tether around him began to fizzle away like Grimm did when they were killed, a momentary feeling of freedom washed over Qrow until the bullet in the ground that had broken said tether burst open with golden magic. It shot out in two directions, one half grabbing and wrapping around Qrow similarly to how the previous magic had, and the other around this man's wrist and turning an ice blue from his aura, a blue that slowly engulfed the whole rope that now attached them.

A new tether formed, feeling much like the last and feeling heavy on Qrow's wings as the hand   
around him let him go, scrambling to the ground with a sharp noise.

"That wasn't so hard, Oz said you'd be much more difficult to surprise, I'm almost disappointed. Anyways get out of that bird form I have a lot of questions for you." the man ordered and stood to his feet brushing off the dirt from his pants nonchalantly before furrowing his eyebrows with more gust, "I said change back, I don't have time for any bullshit!"

Not by his own choice but the force binding them now Qrow felt his own magic envelop him in a way he'd almost forgotten about and in a single poof of a moment he was sitting on the ground awkwardly, and human.

"Shit, you're just a kid." the man before him breathed out barely audible and his face softening just a smidge.

Not a kid but a young man, and a scrawny one at that with a pale face, red eyes, and dark hair.

Lifting his hands from the ground Qrow stared at them and the rest of his body, his breathing starting to pick up more rapidly feeling his skin crawl. This wasn't right, all of this was wrong, he wasn't supposed to be like this it wasn't allowed...if Salem knew she would be furious and Qrow would end up hurting someone in this form for sure.

Starting to physically shake a deep voice cut through Qrow's thoughts, "Hey now calm down there's no need to panic, I'm not going to kill you." Qro wasn't afraid of the man but he flinched when a hand manhandled his arm and forced him to his unready feet.

Once up a dizzy spell washed over his head and Qrow's breathing wasn't slowing, all of the horrible possibilities of the entire world felt like they were spiraling through his head alongside the pain in his legs from stretching them for the first time this way in so long. Swaying a few times Qrow's vision turned black just as his mind realized that his feet were giving way.

///  
  


_Qrow knew this dark hallway, he knew this memory. He was much younger here and running through the hallways away from a few of Salem's pets as her sweet voice echoed through the hallways._

_"You know running away will only make your punishment worse little bird."_

_He tried hiding in a closet, hands clamped over his mouth staying as quiet as possible hearing the breath of monsters outside the door. It didn't work, scratched and pounding on the door made him scream as black tendrils slid under the door and grabbed for him._

_"No let go!" he kicked out._

_"I told you not to run little bird, this is your own fault."_

_"Raven help me!" he screamed._

  
  
///

"Yeah Oz I know, you've got to give me time to make it to Vale. I've been out running around in this jungle for days, it's going to take time to get back to any type of civilization first and then I'll call a ship." a deep voice woke Qrow up from his sleep and a second voice, muffled and far away as they spoke over scroll.

Coming to slowly Qrow looked up, still in the jungle and it was the middle of the night with the moon bright in the sky. Peeling himself off the ground slight pains ran through Qrow's neck and back from sleeping on the ground and a new cold chill ran over him when something warm fell off of his chest.

There was a small crackling fire going between them but the warmth had been from a coat gently draped over him while he slept, the same white coat his captor had been wearing beforehand, that thought left an odd squeeze in his stomach. Feeling the tether sturdy on his shoulders Qrow knew there was no running from this, so he waited and cleared his throat before they made eye contact.

"I've got to go he just woke up, yeah I know." the man said before hanging up on the recipient of the call while the other had been in the middle of talking. "You're finally awake, about time." his stern tone returned, it reminded Qrow of a general giving orders to a fleet.

Qrow was used to that sort of treatment, he kept his mouth shut.

"My name is James Ironwood." he paused waiting for a reverse introduction but wasn't met with one, James frowned deeper, "I know what you are and who you work for but you're tethered to _me_ now. That means you won't be hurting anyone again and you will be answering questions about Salem whether it's through me or some of my friends in the Atlas military."

Oh threats, he was used to that as well and shrugged it off silently.

"Enough of the silent act!" James' voice rose and he stalked over grabbing Qrow by his upper arm with his metal hand and squeezing enough to cause slight pain and possibly bruising later. Qrow's eyes squeezed but he made no noise, he was accustom to more pain than this, the discomfort still showed on his face but he wouldn't be broken so easily.

"Tell me about Salem, where to find her, how to kill her, what her goal is," James demanded and pressed his fingers tighter into Qrow's skin, skin that now the more Qrow thought about it still felt like it was crawling and not his own. This body didn't feel familiar, he felt like a stranger inside of someone else.

"You think I'll go easy on you because you're young? I won't!" the man threatened but shoved Qrow away releasing his arm with a frustrated grunt. 

In his thoughts Qrow pondered and counted, how old exactly was he now? He hadn't thought about it in so long but he did his best counting, at least nineteen but maybe slightly older. He was officially an adult now.

"I figured you wouldn't spill secrets so easily but I didn't think you'd give me trouble with just your name." Sitting back across the fire James ran a hand down his face and stared at the other, "I'm a busy man so until I can drop you off with someone proper like Ozpin or my pals in Atlas, you'll be following me. Are you going to cause me trouble?"

Ozpin, Qrow did know that name very well. He was the opposite side to Salem, they hated each other and she wanted him to die a very painful death. Ozpin must have been the way James had used magic to re-tether Qrow so easily.

Qrow shrugged carelessly. It was only a matter of time like this, Salem would notice his absence and send her underlings and Grimm to find him. That's what truly scared him, she would tear apart half of Anima to find him and drag Qrow back just to punish him for being incompetent, she knew how to cause real pain and fear.

"...Qrow," he spoke up, his voice hoarse and caught James off guard.

"Crow? Is that supposed to be funny?"

"No," he said back, "Qrow, Q-R-O-W."

"Well, Qrow, you're part of a job for me and not exactly mine to rough up. So as long as you don't cause me trouble I promise not to do anything rash to keep you in line, deal?"

"We'll see how it goes." Qrow scoffed, laying back down and turning on his side away from James and the fire, pulling the coat back over him and clenched his eyes shut. Trying his best to ignore the dysphoria from being in his own body Qrow tried to force himself to sleep.

///

James sighed heavily watching Qrow drift back to sleep, he wasn't sure what he'd been expecting.

_"You can be very intimidating James but that won't get him to talk. I doubt he'll show direct violence towards you once you capture him so would it kill you to show him some kindness in return?_

Ozpin's words echoed in his ears, how was he supposed to treat a mortal enemy with respect and kindness? James had always trusted Ozpin, he hadn't lead James astray yet but his previous military training was telling James to use his force and get answers this second. Every moment counted in defeating Salem and saving lives.

On the other hand, Qrow wasn't what he'd expected at all. Stories of Salem's blackbird assassin made James think it was an older man or woman, veteran and sturdy fighter with bulging muscles.

Instead, Qrow was younger than himself looking haggard and scrawny, the way he'd stood on his feet and wobbled earlier that evening reminded James of a baby deer learning to stand for the first time. How was this young man the dangerous and long sought after informant and assassin stories whispered of?

It would be a three-day walk back to Haven at the most, that would be enough time to study some of Qrow's behavior.

Each morning of those three days James was rudely awoken by the loud screeching of Qrow in his bird form, it wasn't that he disliked the trills crows made but the fact that it was directly in his ear made him quite a bit more irritable in the mornings.

Qrow spent close to 75% of the days in his crow form with only a few exceptions like when James was frustrated and lost track of him, demanding that he change back. He was also far more talkative in it than in his human form, Qrow just loved to squawk at him while as a human James was lucky to get a grunt of acknowledgment.

By the time the sun was on the horizon that third day James had to admit it, he was lost. This was his first time in Anima and navigating this type of jungle, he'd been so sure that they were going the right way and should have arrived already but not James was realizing he had no idea where they were on his map.

Qrow didn't look worried in the least, quiet and in human form with his left hand twisting one of the rings on his right hand. "This damn map isn't any help if I don't know where we are!" James snapped and threw the paper to the ground, stepping on it with anger.

"Tch.." Qrow clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes before taking his crow form and flying up high towards the skyline.

"Hey get back here, I didn't say-Oh." James cut himself off watching Qrow land on a tall branch and looking around, then flying a bit higher and then taking off in one direction. "Hey wait!" he called but chased after the direction, Qrow stayed ahead of him but within sight and when the trees became too thick he flew down into the forest so that James could still see him.

Several hours of that hard pace had James exhausted and panting but when he caught up Qrow was sitting casually in a tree looking like he'd just been strolling in a park for the last few hours. Just underneath said tree was a sign, a very old one but it pointed towards several villages that James could use to figure out their location on the map.

Clearly, Qrow knew this jungle well enough.

Making camp for the night James scouted their journey from here on, another two days and they could make it to Haven as long as they didn't get lost again. "Thank you...you saved me several days of wandering about this damn jungle," he spoke over the fire.

Red eyes turned to stare at him intently, "What....what did you say?" Qrow tilted his head and scrunched his eyes in confusion.

"Thank you?" he repeated.

"Thank you..." the younger whispered and pulled his legs to his chest, leaning back against a tree, "You're welcome...I guess, or whatever."

Not that there had been a lot of opportunities but Qrow hadn't caused any issues so far this trip, but this one act showed James some semblance of kindness in Qrow. He could have let them wander for days in this jungle, he could have made them more lost but instead he'd done the opposite.

Watching Qrow picking at his nails James couldn't help but think of him as soft looking and gentle instead of all of the awful things he'd heard about Qrow. Had those stories been wrong? Or was Qrow just an expert at putting on this type of act?

///

As per the norm now James awoke to the loud sounds of his new bird alarm clock, but today it wasn't directed in his ear and instead a call from a nearby tree. Much easier to enjoy and wake up in a good mood that way, the trills at this distance were practically charming.

He whipped them up a few mouthfuls of his dried Atlesian army packets that he kept on him in cases like this if he were to get lost and run out of easy food, they tasted like mush but Qrow had never complained and he practically licked up every crumb.

"Wait a second-" James called once they started out for the day, seeing the movement Qrow normally made before changing into a bird he reached out to catch Qrow's arm gently. "I thought we could walk together today, like this."

"Uh okay, sure." reluctantly Qrow nodded and slowly pulled his arm from James' grip. Over the days he'd grown slightly more used to his body, it didn't feel right by any means but it no longer gave him the unyielding sense of dysphoria he'd felt initially that sent him into hysterics and made his stomach turn.

"Something on your mind? I can practically see smoke coming out of your ears from you thinking so hard." James attempted to tease the other.

Qrow touched over his ears, no smoke, well duh it was a figure of speech he should know that. "Just...everything..." he mumbled and looked straight ahead as they walked, his hands stuffed into his pockets as always.

"Everything?"

"Everything." Qrow said back seriously and left a long silence before muttering with slightly more confidence, "I don't like hurting people, believe what you want about me but that's the one truth I know about myself."

///

Stepping foot back into society felt heavenly under James' feet, he felt much more at ease in the large city of Mistral than the jungle even if he wasn't afraid to get dirty for work. Relaxing instantly his stomach growled that evening they arrived, the first order of business was to follow his nose to the food vendor district and get them both something that wasn't rehydrated from a package.

"Don't wander off too far out here, alright?" he requested, didn't order, and walked until finding his destination and smelling all types of spices and cooking in the air. It smelled heavenly here.

Qrow hadn't wandered off a single step, he stuck to James' side almost like glue not daring to wander off confidently as he did in the jungle or in bird form. His eyes showed a slight nervous shifting and he quickly twisted one of the two rings on his right hand fidgeting as they entered the crowded dinner hungry mob.

Rolling his eyes James took Qrow's wrist in his own, "Come on I'm starving, you've got to be too with how scrawny you are. Pick something, I'll buy it for you."

With their stomachs filled they strayed into a much quieter area of the city and James finally dropped his grip from Qrow seeing the young man starting to look more at ease when not surrounded by other bodies.

///  
  


_"You belong to me Qrow, do as your told." Salem said almost in a singsong tone, "This man has become a threat to me, your Mistress, so kill him at once. You know you have to."_

_There was no magic squeezing Qrow urging him to do her bidding but he could feel the phantom trace of it from being pulled along by that tether for so many years. "Kill him." she repeated, "That's a good little bird."_

_Qrow hadn't felt himself move but looking down he had managed to summon his sword, one he hadn't thought about since returning to his human form and now it was wedged deeply inside of James' chest and blood pouring down it like a waterfall as the man gasped and gagged._

_"Good little bird." Salem praised again with a laugh deep in her voice. A new type of ache started to fill Qrow's chest as he let go of the blade and stepped away, James' body hit the floor in a puddle of his blood._

_"No..." he whispered, "No, no no this isn't...I didn't want this! I don't want to hurt anyone, I don't want to hurt him!" running his hands over his face and threw his hair red blood stained him wherever he touched._

_"All you're capable of doing is hurting others, that's why you belong with me. Did you think he trusted you? That he cared about you? Not hitting you, feeding you, he's on orders to do all of that nothing more."_

_"I know!" Qrow yelled, "I know that!" tears began to burn the corners of his eyes._

_"Were you starting to like him? Oh, you did." she made a small click of her tongue and shook her head disappointed, "You only brought this pain on yourself little bird. If you hadn't begun to care then this would have been easier." she paused before grinning widely._

_"How many times does it take for you to learn? You're destined to kill those close to you, that's why we sent Raven away remember?"_  
  


///

Qrow woke with a start in the middle of the night, flinging himself out of bed and looking at his surroundings. He hadn't remembered even falling asleep at the Inn where James had gotten them separate rooms, only because of how small they were.

His breathing heavy and body shaking Qrow clenched his hands tight enough for his knuckles to turn white and his mind still half in his nightmare.

No sword in his hands but Qrow could _feel_ the blood sticking to his palms, throwing his door open he marched across the hall and kicked in James' door with more strength than he remembered having.

"Shit!" James woke and was at the ready to fight instantly, within seconds Qrow found himself painfully pinned to the wall by his upper arms but he'd managed to touch James' nightshirt first and slowly relaxed going almost completely lax in the tight hold.

"No blood...No blood.." he murmured over a few times like a mantra before James realized who he was and that he wasn't being attacked and dropped Qrow's wrists, closed the room door and flicked the lights on.

"Qrow what the hell was that!?" the man snarled and walked back over grabbing Qrow's arms again but this time to inspect them, "Shit what did you do to yourself?"

Perfectly still Qrow stood quietly with a daze in his eyes, at some point during his nightmare he must have panicked and started to struggle, digging his nails into and scratching at the flesh on his arms enough to cause small wounds that weren't bleeding any more.

Everything since meeting James had felt like a partial dream state, only in Qrow's wildest dreams had he ever been free of Salem's tether and not forced by magic to do her bidding. James didn't coddle him which he appreciated and he didn't push Qrow around, order him to hurt anyone or do menial tasks, it was kind in his book.

He liked James as a person, he was like one of those heroes from old storybooks. Tall and strong, a tough fighter working for the good guys trying to defeat the big evil villain. All qualities Qrow had admired when he was a small kid and that dream had shaken something inside of him, he hated the thought of James being one of his victims.

"I thought there was blood.."

Confused James sighed tiredly and pulled Qrow over to his bed and pushed him to lay down before turning off the light again and crawling in himself. It was a tight fit but they managed, "You can tell me about it the morning when your head is on straight, for now just get some sleep."

Rest didn't come easy for Qrow that night, he didn't sleep much more but the nightmares stayed away and having James right there in bed was enough reminder that he was breathing and alive. At least when Qrow wasn't waking up worried that he might have killed the man while asleep.

///

They didn't end up talking about it much the next morning, James asked him about it during a quick breakfast but all Qrow muttered was, "Bad dream." and that was the end of it.

It had been on his mind, this had been Qrow's destination as well, but a cold shiver ran down his spine seeing Haven Academy standing tall and that they were walking right towards it. "We're going to Haven?" he asked.

"Yes I've got some business with Professor Lionheart today, got a problem with that?"

Averting his eyes Qrow shook his head, "No, not at all." This wasn't going to turn out well.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qrow isn't sure if he chose the right side when he saves James' life in a split moment decision. James isn't too thrilled to be taking a short trip back home to Atlas, and for good reason.

This was going to be an absolute fucking disaster.

How could he tell James he didn't want to go meet Lionheart because he'd been on his way here with a murder assignment in the first place? He'd probably be tied up for saying that. On the other hand, Lionheart knew him and what he did, who Qrow worked for and was bound to open his fat mouth.

The school was dead quiet, no teachers, no kids, nothing going on and all of the lights off other than a single one in the headmaster's office. At least whatever would happen they had privacy but Qrow held one of his wrists with his opposite hand and dug his nails into the skin to confirm that his hands were not moving on their own and attacking someone.

"Ironwood good to see you arrived at las..last..." Lionheart's voice drove off when his eyes met Qrow's stern red ones, "Hah, haha, who is this? A friend?" nervously the Faunus extended his hand for a polite shake which Qrow did not meet.

Waving his hand and urging Lionheart further into his office to separate the two it seemed James hadn't noticed the recognition or mistook it for Lionheart's usual awkwardness. "Sorry I'm late, got lost in that damn jungle outside the city." James apologized with grit. "He isn't important, part of a job so don't worry about him."

Qrow was watching intently, he hadn't summoned his sword and attacked on sight, his nails were still digging into his hand like he was telling them to so that was good. But he couldn't shake the urge to attack and do Salem's bidding even without the tether telling him to, he couldn't stop his eyes penetrating through Lionheart's entire being watching his every tremble and stuttering movement.

"Right...anyway let's talk, what was so important that Ozpin couldn't tell me over scroll or through letter?" a barely noticeable tremor in the man's hands that caused him to clink teacups together lightly as he poured out a few cups and handed one to James and turned away from Qrow when it was clear the young man wasn't going to take the peace offering, he nervously sipped at his own steaming cup.

"Things in Atlas and Vale alike have been very bad, Grimm crawling everywhere. I'm sure you heard about Beacon Academy?" James said.

Qrow sure had, Salem had been quite proud of that one using her pawns to sneak Grimm into the city and school tearing everything apart and causing countless casualties. Beacon had fallen so hard and swarmed that it wasn't rebuildable at the current moment, all huntsmen and huntresses were currently busy trying to keep the remaining city and citizens standing and safe.

"I did catch wind of that, poor Ozpin he put his heart and soul into that school. Is the relic...?"

"Buried with the school, as far as we know Salem hasn't gotten her hands on it." James' blue eyes flickered to Qrow hoping for some answer but not expecting one then looking back to Lionheart. "He's worried and mentioned that you have not been answering his texts or calls.." immediately his voice turned suspicious, "I'm here to check on you and the relic."

"I-I see." Lionheart nodded but didn't dispute the fact that he'd ghosted Ozpin, he had done the same to Salem.

///

Qrow had never seen a relic room in one of the academies before but the one in Haven, the one of fall said to contain the relic of Wisdom, was beautiful. Trees everywhere with permanently fall colored leaves of all shades golden, orange, and red and in front of them a large golden door in the shape of petals ready to unfold. Near an average person's eye level there was a single indent of a hand.

All of this being held up on a sturdy platform but surrounded by a dark drop off that when peered over the side once could not see the bottom.

Stepping forward James touched his hand in place but nothing happened, "How does this one open? Oz asked me to check the relic with my own eyes."

"Blood...you need blood." Lionheart answered slowly and when Qrow made a face the Faunus muttered, "I didn't make the door, ask Ozpin why he designed it that way."

"It's because wisdom, the truth, is what Ozpin fears most." a new voice called from the entrance that made all of their heads turn, Qrow's fastest snapping to attention, he knew that voice too well.

There crawled forward a type of Grimm Lionheart nor James had seen before but Qrow recognized, a dark smoky crystal ball held up by a flurry of Grimm tentacles with razor-sharp knives at the ends spouting out Salem's voice.

"Oh." the voice sounded elated, "I've been looking for you little bird, you suddenly dropped off my radar. We'll talk after I finish business with these two."

"Yes ma'am," he said instinctively and turned his eyes to the ground and stood straight, arms at his sides instead of their previous nervous clinging to each other and scratching nails into his skin.

"Salem." James grumbled.

"Yes, lovely to meet you James Ironwood. I've heard quite a few things about you from dear Leonardo here." the Grimm echoed.

"What?" James' eyes went wider and glanced at the Faunus, "No, I don't believe you..."

"It's true." Qrow spoke up suddenly surprising himself and everyone else, "He has been feeding us information for the last year, that's how your defense systems at Beacon were overridden."

James looked shocked and speechless for a moment, Salem could only chuckle, "So this door opens with enough blood? I'd like to say it was nice to meet you Ironwood but that would be a lie."

Lifting one of his guns from the holster James pointed it at the Grimm, "You think that thing can kill me? I'm not incompetent."

"By my count you are outnumbered three to one, my grim, my well-trained pet, and a Professor so scared of pain that he would kill you before standing up to me," she said confidently.

"The Professor and I will have a serious talk when this is over but I have at least enough faith in his character that he won't try to murder me," James said with the same sort of gust, his eyes were trained on the Grimm but they flickered on occasion to Qrow expecting an attack of some kind.

Everything happened so quickly, in a split second when his eyes caught Qrow move so fast he was a blur James fired a single bullet shattering the Grimm's crystal ball head and watched it fizzle away then lowered his gun to abdomen level and swiftly turned feeling a presence behind him and fired a second shot.

"Qr...Qrow?" James stuttered slightly. Qrow's back was to him and he stood there having caught a dagger in mid stab and twisted it from Lionheart's grip, his hand bleeding from grabbing it directly from the blade matching the blood from the new bullet hole that went straight through his stomach.

Dropping the blade to the ground with a clatter Qrow stepped to the side holding his stomach and leaning his shoulder against the golden doorway, "I'm fine." he said calmly.

James' hate-filled gaze turned to the Professor and he grabbed the man by the front of his shirt gruffly and shoved the Faunus over the edge of the drop off by everything but his feet, letting him dangle above the abyss by James' hand. "How could you!? You betrayed Oz's trust and then you tried to kill me!? Why!?"

Holding onto James' wrists Lionheart's eyes were filled with fear and sadness, "Because I'm scared...I can't do this anymore. You're young, you're new to this but when you've been doing it as long as I have you have things to lose. I wasn't willing to lose my school. Just..." his voice cracked with a light sob, "Tell Ozpin that I"m sorry."

"Tell him yourself we're going to-" before James could finish or start to pull the Professor back up Lionheart pushed his feet on the edge wherever he found purchase and pushed himself off, forcing James to let go or be dragged over with him. "No!" he cried out watching the figure fall into darkness. "Shit shit _shit_!" the young man swore heavily and stood back up straight.

"James..." a quiet voice called, "James," it repeated when he didn't answer raising James' frustrations.

Turning on the third call he glared and snapped, "What!?"

"The relic isn't here..." Qrow said fighting to keep himself standing up and leaning on the now open golden doorway, blood covering his stomach and hands matching where Qrow had smeared it along the once pristine chamber door to make it open.

The chamber was like a portal to another world, one of pure sand and a few steps in there laid a pedestal where the relic should be. Should. Pedestal sitting there with an empty slot where the relic should be.

Fishing out his scroll James frantically pressed buttons to find Ozpin's contact until he froze hearing a loud thump of Qrow hitting the ground, "Damn!" he hissed and rushed to the others side on the ground, scooping the smaller figure into his arms.

///  
  


_Tears streamed down a young Qrow's face as a whip-like tendril lashed into his back again, he'd lost count to how many times it struck but his back felt like it was on fire so much that it was almost numb to the feeling of his blood dripping off his skin. Another crack of pain made him cry out again._

_"This is what happens when you hide things from me, I always find out!" Salem said with a furious rage in her dark eyes._

_"They were just kids!" he'd made the mistake of trying to hide them but that had only caused Salem to strike out twice as violently towards them and Qrow._

_"Never betray me again!" she screeched and cracked her whip yet again._

"Qrow! Qrow wake up you're going to hurt yourself!" a deep voice called him as a pressure held his arms to each of his sides and made his red eyes snap open and his struggling stop.

"There we go, take a few deep breathes now," James said letting go of Qrow's wrists and slowly helping him sit up.

Several long and deep breathes later Qrow managed to settle the queasy in his stomach and ignore the memory of the whip wounds on his back that somehow his young aura had managed to heal into almost no scarring.

But his aura could never erase all of the trauma locked inside of Qrow's heart.

Blinking the blur out of his eyes, as he was doing so one warm and one cool hand started pulling and prodding at his face, checking his eyes and cheeks. "Stop!" he whined and pushed the hands away.

James sighed, "You're so pale, maybe I should take you to a hospital after all.."

"What? No!" finally for the first time since leaving his small cage Qrow felt fully awake and aware of the world around him, no longer in a sense that he was acting in a dream within a dream. "I'm fine my aura will take care of it eventually."

"That could take days with how hard it pushed to keep you alive already. Unless..." the look in James' eyes and the way his voice trailed off told Qrow that he was contemplating something serious.

"Unless what?" when the other didn't answer him Qrow asked, "James?"

Shifting in his seat on the edge of the bed James finally answered, "I could use my aura to boost yours so you would heal faster and be able to travel at least."

"Oh, right." Qrow had forgotten that was a thing people could do, he'd never had the chance to try it with someone. "What's the big deal about that?"

"I'm-I don't..." James grit his teeth and furrowed his eyebrows, "Because of some past injuries my aura isn't that strong, it would wipe me out."

Oh that's what it was about, James was trying to decide if he could trust Qrow enough to do something slightly intimate with him and trust Qrow to be the one awake while James slept off his weariness.

"You don't have to I'll be fine, I've had way worse than this before." Qrow insisted and slowly shifted his legs off the bed and tested his feet stability on the ground and took his time making his way to his feet.

"Idiot you shouldn't be up yet!" James rushed around the bed to his side and touched Qrow's arms to keep him steady even though he looked relatively fine on his own.

Qrow lifted one arm and using his elbow he weakly pushed James away a few inches and glared, "It's not your business if I'm wounded, we aren't friends!" he declared with a rise in his voice.

"You made it my business when you saved me!" James argued back.

"Saved you?" Qrow said sarcastically and scoffed, rolling his eyes he sneered, "That knife would have hurt but I doubt it would have killed you." Qrow was also sure he'd be better of health-wise if he'd taken the dagger to the stomach instead of James' bullet.

"Tch, you still don't realize what you did, do you Qrow?" crossing his arms James stood tall and he smirked like he was about to win the argument, that pissed Qrow off and he opened his mouth to say something only to be cut off, "You saved me instead of killing me or letting me be killed, you betrayed Salem."

All of the words died in Qrow's throat and his eyes went wide. When Salem found him again she was either going to torture him and then kill him, or torture him and then lock him away in his cage for the rest of his miserable life.

"I don't understand you at all." James had to admit, "There are so many stories from years ago about you being a murder machine doing Salem's every bit of dirty work, spilling blood everywhere you went. Yet all I've seen is some young quiet _brat_ whose sharp but otherwise powerless in a fight following his mistress' tether like a puppy until that tether was gone and you had to decide for yourself what to do." 

Qrow blinked slowly feeling his insides twisting, he couldn't tell if James was trying to compliment his choice or degrade him with all of those statements. At what point in the past had he decided to give up and let his tether guide him through life? That's when he'd started living in a dream state, meeting James was just the beginning of waking up from the long nap.

"You re-tethered me so...so I do what you want now."

"No." came the stern answer Qrow wasn't expecting, "I'm not Salem, I have a job and a duty to deliver you to Ozpin but I'm not going to dictate every little thing you can and can't do. My only orders to you are not to run away from me and not to hurt anyone that doesn't deserve it."

That was far too much freedom to think about while he was healing, rolling his eyes Qrow pushed past James and grumbled, "Move I have to piss."

///

It was a relief that Qrow was awake and even on his feet as ragged as he looked, but the real surprise was just how alert Qrow finally seemed. Up until this point he had always felt half in the moment no matter what but this time James could see his full conscious in that red-eyed glared.

And this was the most Qrow had ever spoken to him in one go, something had certainly changed after the confrontation the previous day. In the back of his mind, James did hope that he'd suddenly gained a new ally in Qrow instead of a potentially threatening enemy down the line.

He let Qrow rest for another full day while scouting the city for their best route out, lucky for them he'd found an Atlesian military ship that was dropping off ordered supplies that he'd arranged a ride on.

"So you're handing me over to those guys in Atlas that you promised would torture answers out of me after all?" Qrow asked after being told and casually said so while pulling on one of his shoes.

"Huh? Oh no, I mean I do know _of_ a special team for that but I don't know them personally. I only said that to kind of threaten you, I've got no intention of turning you over to Atlas." James promised and by the tone of his voice Qrow believed him, he wasn't the type to just casually lie when he didn't have to.

"Why are we traveling to Atlas in the first place then?"

"It's where I'm from, I've got plenty more connections there than here plus they have great medical equipment. We can get you back to full working order and I'll get us a ship to barrow so that we can make our way to Vale." the older man explained.

"It was pretty stupid of you to drop your scroll in the relic chamber," Qrow said, a teasing glint in his eyes that almost made James laugh if it weren't for the fact that he was also irritated with himself. The chamber had closed itself off again and wouldn't be opening unless someone was willing to shed a good amount of blood again.

"I'll get a new one in Atlas, trust me if we didn't have to make this stop I'd be more than happy to skip it. We'll be there a few hours tops, get in, get out as quick as possible before anyone notices us."

"Blah blah Atlas this, Atlas that." Qrow mocked before changing into his bird form without warning and landing on James' shoulder.

"Shit!" he swore under his breath and glanced at the bird, "I'm taking you to Atlas like this? I told the driver there were two passengers, they're going to think I'm crazy talking about a bird like he's a passenger." That was the entire point. "Little shit."

Qrow squawked gently resembling a laugh as they left the Inn.

The pilot did indeed give James a funny look when he arrived with a crow on his shoulder but didn't say anything out loud. The flight to Atlas was long and while James could contain himself he also had to deal with an annoying small bird pecking at his clothing out of boredom before deciding to take a nap curled up in a puffy ball closeby.

Qrow didn't wake again until they were landing, as James exited the small delivery ship he had his hand held up with Qrow perched on his fingers as he chided the bird, "I think you're just lazy and like this form because I'll carry you."

Atlas' familiar cold wind blew across James' face, it was enough to make the little blackbird shiver and give a whiny chirp that James ignored once spotting two familiar military figures approaching. Why were they here and how did they know James had been on his way back to Atlas? That damn pilot must have taken his money and called in that James was his passenger anyways.

"You're James Ironwood?" the man of the pair asked glancing between himself and the bird James carried, "Welcome back to Atlas, the Headmaster has a few questions for you if you would kindly come with us."

"I've got nothing to say to him or you two and I've got better places to be, so please excuse me."

"That's a shame, he'll be disappointed to hear his son doesn't even want to say hello." the man shrugged, "Alright take the bird."

"Qrow go now!" a high electric voltage ran through James' body painfully from a weapon the man carried while the woman simultaneously revealed that behind her back she'd been holding a very small sack that she managed to stuff Qrow into as he shrieked and flailed about despite still being injured.

James only lost consciousness for about a minute but that was plenty of time for the two Atlesian's to disappear. He had left home for a reason but coming back James had never expected to be attacked the way he just had been, anger blossomed in his chest towards his father and fear for a certain bird that he needed to recover and soon.

Perhaps he'd brought this bad luck on himself when he'd initially threatened Qrow with turning him over to the two information extraction specialists that had just stolen the bird away. Those two had never failed at getting what they wanted from a subject before and whether it took a day or weeks they would make Qrow talk somehow.

It was fine, James could handle this. His father wasn't the only one with connections in Atlas.

///

Everything was cramped and took dark inside of the back, Qrow felt like he'd been stuffed in another cage. A needle poked through and pierced between his feathers as a cold liquid injected into his body and his entire body lit up in pain, as he was dumped into a sterile white floor Qrow changed back into a human and screamed curling up on the floor in agony.

"Do you think it was a good idea to start with _Sir_ right away instead of going a more traditional route?" a male voice asked.

The woman sounded cold and emotionless as she said with a sigh, "No, General Ironwood wants answers as soon as possible so we have permission to go all out from the beginning. I was told as weak as this one looks he has a high tolerance for this sort of thing, a few days of _Sir_ will loosen his lips."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James comes to rescue Qrow and afterward they both realize there might be something akin to friendship to kindle between them. Qrow finally gets to meet this Ozpin he's heard so much about.

Qrow spent three days strapped to a medical table in a boxed room that was pure white all around while those two militants tortured him for information.

"What is Salem?"

"Where is Salem?"

"How do we defeat her?"

"What is her goal?"

The male counterpart read all of the questions off of a tablet. 

All questions like that and more and every time Qrow either refused to answer or shouted, "I don't know!" he was given a small shot dosage of some drug that made every single one of his nerves stand on end and shoot up with pain. Qrow struggled against his restraints, arching off of the table whenever he found the strength and screamed his lungs out longing to turn back into a bird but not finding the strength or will to fight back quite that hard.

Whatever this was drained him of his strength mentally and physically and when the two occasionally dosed him with a much larger syringe of the green liquid it was followed not just by pain but hallucinations of memories being drudged up, some that he had nightmares of and some that Qrow hadn't thought of in years.

"He's too damn resilient." the woman swore under her breath, " _Sir_ has never failed to get answers out of anyone before, how high is his damn pain tolerance!?"

"Even if it's incredibly high everyone has a breaking point, he's only human after all. Come on let's take a late dinner break and think up some new ideas before continuing." the man smiled at his coworker and opened the door for her, "I want to run one by you, what if we could get him in his bird form and pluck every one of his feathers out-" the door closed behind them leaving Qrow in silence.

_Sing for me little bird._ Salem's voice filled his ears in the silence and for a moment the white walls around him transformed into the old familiar metal of cage bars.

He closed his eyes taking whatever breath that he could but only thirty minutes later the door reopened and Qrow groaned, "That was a quick dinner..." he mumbled.

"Qrow, Qrow!" James called him and approached, a hand tapping his cheek to get his attention.

"James...?" he couldn't believe his eyes, was he being rescued? A sense of ease took over his mind and pain tears prickled his eyes, "Get me out of here already."

"Already on it." Punching in the right code the table released Qrow but when he tried to pick himself up from the table all he could do was fall back down and hiss. "Change so I can carry you easier, please."

"I don't know if I can right now."

"You have to, if you do I can hide you inside my inner coat pocket and walk us straight out of here no problem!" James urged and placed a hand over Qrow's forehead, "Monsters...what have they been doing to you?" sympathy heavy in his voice.

"Order me."

"What?" blue eyes blinked several times seeing if they'd heard correctly.

"Order me to change so I'll be able to, I'm giving you permission to order me around...just this once."

"...Okay." James' voice was soft and he as carefully as possible sat Qrow up and held him close in a semi-hug to hold him close to his chest, "Change back right now." he said with the intent of an order.

Qrow made a small uncomfortable noise as the tether forced him into it but he did manage to change into a bird, still collapsed but cradled in James' gloved hands that settled him into the large inner coat pocket of a thick Atlesian coat.

It was dark and cramped inside but Qrow didn't dare make a peep or move a centimeter no matter how uncomfortable. He listened as James strolled his way out of whatever building they were in for several minutes, he could hear other people around that didn't give James a second look.

Well, only one did and that person made James fully stop. "James what are you doing here?" an older man said with a grave voice, Qrow could feel James' whole figure tighten up being confronted by him.

"I could ask you the same thing father, shouldn't you be running your school?"

"Don't give me lip boy. If you would just do as you're told then you could be part of the interrogation instead of me having to steal things away from you at the docks." already Qrow hated this man, he sounded far too pleased with his son's discomfort, anger, and humiliation after being attacked once landing.

"I don't want to be apart of anything in Atlas the way you've been changing it, I'm leaving first thing in the morning and I won't be back for a long time." the younger promised and lied, they were getting out of Atlas the second they could get a ride.

"For the best son, and don't worry about the little bird we will take _good_ care of him." the man sneered before leaving.

Qrow drifted in and out of consciousness for the next parts but he briefly heard James bribing some pilot for passage to Vale and then woke up several times on the ride but didn't gain consciousness again until they had hit solid ground.

When James fished him out of the pocket for fresh air the first thing Qrow noticed was they were in the middle of nowhere, but on a dirt road. Then with a gasp, Qrow changed back into a human right in James' hands, luckily the older man had good reflexes and caught him in his arms properly if not a bit awkwardly.

"S-Sorry.." Qrow hissed and held his stomach as James held under his back and legs bridal style, "Couldn't hold it anymore." This was strange, being a bird used to be the easiest thing for Qrow and turning back into a human had been the hard dreading part.

"It's fine you did perfect, we made it to Vale but I want to stay out of sight of anything too mainstream until you're back to normal again."

"So we're camping out again?" Qrow mumbled.

"Yeah, we're camping," James said with disdain, the plan was to stay off the road and in the surrounding forest to keep eyes off of them but close enough to it that while they rested James wouldn't get them lost.

"Mn great...but thanks, for uh coming to get me." Qrow's eyes slipped closed again and again even as he tried to blink them awake.

"It's the least I can do. I know I was harsh on you when we first met, but I don't condone torture especially to someone non-violent." hearing that was enough to make Qrow smile just a little and fall back asleep for what felt like the millionth time in a day.

///

The first day in camp was the worst for Qrow, now that all of that serum had mostly filtered out of his system the nerves in his body didn't feel like they were lighting up with pain anymore but he was having lots of withdrawal symptoms from the sudden cut off and sometimes he could still hear Salem's voice haunting him. "I didn't think bodies could have withdrawal from fucking _poison_!" he snarled as he tossed and turned on one of the two small cots James had brought to sleep on. Thin but better than the ground.

"Yeah _Sir_ is a nasty thing," James said as he stoked the fire to get it going again so that he could heat up some breakfast.

" _Sir_? What kind of stupid fucking name is that?" Qrow didn't know how it was possible to feel hot and cold at the same time but a chilly sweat started to bead on his forehead.

"It is stupid isn't it?" lightheartedly the older agreed and gave a tiny smile, "A top-secret drug with a long complex name that one of the companies under my father's thumb created. Tricks your body into thinking all of your pain sensories are being activated but at the same time can become addicting, hence the withdrawal you're going through."

"Ye-yeah I got that much, why is it called _Sir_?" tired as he was Qrow couldn't sleep feeling like this, at least talking with James helped take his mind off somewhat.

"Easier to say than the full thing, and I believe someone made a dumb joke once like... _Sir will get them to talk_ and it just stuck after that." after a few minutes James came over to help Qrow sit up and held out a large thermos, "Soup, you should try to have a few mouthfuls."

"I'll try if you tell me more about your asshole father." Qrow managed himself a tiny teasing smile, there was something fun about listening to James complain about things that weren't him or the daily threat that was Salem and the Grimm.

James grimaced but nodded, making sure Qrow at least took a sip of broth before he sat down cross-legged near Qrow and started. "I got along well with him when I was younger, that's before I did anything wrong in his eyes."

"So you were a daddies boy doing whatever he told you to without question?" laughing nervously at the glare James sent him Qrow held a hand up, "Not judging, just stating!"

"Yes." the other agreed tightly, "I went to a high esteemed Atlas military academy but when I was fifteen I had...an accident-" James had mentioned that before but Qrow didn't interrupt to ask, he was already pushing asking about the man's father, "-I redecided my life after that and my father was _not_ happy."

Taking a mouthful of the brother Qrow couldn't tear his eyes from James watching him talk, he was curious about the man who had barged into his life just several weeks ago. 

"He's the headmaster of Atlas Academy where hunters train and also General of the Atlas military, he's got a lot of influence over the kingdom...I was stupid to think he wouldn't send someone to check on me when returning home for the first time in years." clearly James blamed himself for Qrow being taken, all and all it was sort of his fault but Qrow wasn't cruel enough to say that.

"I thought it was odd that you knew Ozpin, he to my knowledge only keeps Headmasters and headmistress' in on his plans against Salem so that they protect the relics. But since your father is who he is, everything makes sense." distracted for the moment Qrow's body stopped shaking from the withdrawal and his stomach temporarily settled allowing him to take a few more mouthfuls of soup at a slow pace.

"It wasn't long after my accident that I met Ozpin while he was visiting my father, he...also doesn't agree with how my father has been acting, doesn't trust him. So instead he entrusted me with all of this information, showed me how to use my strength to help the world, unlike my father who is only interested in staying in power so he can do what he likes." 

Qrow knew how it felt to meet someone at a young age that changed their life, it was nice that James had felt a sense of purpose after meeting Ozpin and he was momentarily grateful they had met so that he got to meet James. "You're a very interesting person James."

Looking away quickly, Qrow could swear he saw the faintest pink touch upon James' cheek and began to giggle, feeling light like one of his feathers for that moment. "And not nearly as stupid as I thought when we first met."

"Hey!" James uttered, "I caught you remember!"

"Yeah but before that you were just some guy throwing apples at a bird in the forest and I was thinking _wow this guy is stupid!_ " Qrow's laughter built up a little louder and caught on, James couldn't help but chuckle himself.

"Yeah from that perspective I would seem a bit spaced in the head."

They didn't pack up camp for another two days, "You're sure that you're feeling up to it? We're going to have to trek through part of the mountain glen to make it to Vale from here." 

Standing up straight Qrow was rolling his shoulders and cracking his back to stretch everything properly, "Yeah I'm feeling great now, the bullet wound healed, drugs out of my system, lots of sleep and soup. I'm in peak condition!"

"Pff whatever you say, you're still scrawny as hell." with his left hand James ruffled the top of Qrow's already messy hair giving the other slight pause from such an affectionate touch but only crossed his arms to give a small pout.

"Not going to fly?" James asked once they started out.

"Nah, don't feel like it right now." Qrow shrugged, "Besides we can't talk when I'm like that, unless you secretly know how to speak bird."

"Sadly I don't." James said sarcastically, "I'm allowed to ask about you now then?"

James had refrained from asking about Salem or anything personal to Qrow since they'd started being more friendly but now seemed a good of a time as any to test the waters, he had his curiosities about the blackbird he'd been dragging along.

With a slightly more serious expression on his face, Qrow nodded, "I'll answer _some_ questions, it's only fair after you practically told me your life story."

"I'll start gently don't worry, where were you born?"

"Don't remember."

"Your birthday?"

"Don't know it."

"Do you know how old you are?"

"I dunno around twenty or so, I think." Qrow shrugged and James sighed, this wasn't going so well but he wasn't about to give up.

"Any family?"

"No-actually..." Qrow stopped himself for a moment verbally, "I had...have...had.." he couldn't decide, "A sister, we're twins. I haven't seen her since we were very little so I have no idea if she's alive or where she would be now."

"Oh, I'm sorry." James apologized and raised a tenuous touch to Qrow's shoulder, "Maybe you'll get to see her again one day. Twins though? That's a bit adorable, I can just imagine you as kids and your sister probably walked all over you."

Qrow had been ready to sink into his sad thoughts thinking of how Raven was probably dead or if they met again he was always destined to hurt people he loved, but James had quickly turned his mind away from that mindset. "She did not!" he defended himself, "Not a lot at least!"

"She definitely did." James started to smirk, "Don't ask me how I know she was the boss between you but I've got a good intuition about this."

"Screw you!" Qrow whined making James snicker under his breath as they began to shoot friendly arguments and banter between them, meaningless words that filled the quiet void between them with something warmer and more familiar.

They were in the wilderness so neither of them was shocked to come across the occasional Grimm like ursai or beowolf and each time Qrow took a backseat and watched James expertly put them out of their misery using his metal hand and gun, he never used both just the one other than when they'd first met. It was the opposite gun James had used to fire that magic bullet and tether them together.

The cold weather of the mountain glenn was nothing to James who had grown up in colder weather back in Solitas, his coat was built to block out the winter winds but Qrow was dressed in much lighter clothes.

Every few hours he couldn't help but notice the shivering and ask, "Sure you're not too cold?"

"I can handle it." the shorter insisted.

"I'm not doubting that you can handle it." reaching James touched a hand to the top of Qrow's head, he had gloves on now that he always kept in his pockets for weather like this. He knew how to be prepared for a bit of chilly weather. "I'd just prefer if you weren't uncomfortable. Look it'll take a few hours to get over this side of the glen, I'm used to this weather so...so you should just turn into a bird and I'll carry you in my coat until we reach the forest."

"Aw, Jimmy that's so sweet." Qrow grinned and proceeded to shiver and sneeze, rubbing his arms to make friction and create a slight warmth. Stopping James unbuttoned his coat and with a hand on Qrow's shoulder pulled the younger man close to his chest and wrapped his coat around the shivering figure.

"Just shut up, I'm sick of watching you shiver."

Qrow was thankful for the cold weather suddenly to hide the fact that his cheeks were getting red being pressed up against James' chest and cuddled close in his cozy jacket. "Fine but if we end up traveling somewhere cold like this again I want to get a jacket like this." Reluctantly Qrow settled for snuggling into the inner pocket of James' coat like he had once before.

Listen to him talking about traveling more with James as if once they reached Vale he wasn't going to be left in Ozpin's care and likely never see James again. The man had other priorities and from day one had been very clear that Qrow was a delivery to look after nothing more.

While he could the little bird enjoyed the warmth from James' body and coat, absorbing it all he could and in his opinion the time didn't last nearly long enough. Before he knew it they were past the mountain glen and back into a familiar type of forest with a much warmer temperature and soon enough in the city of Vale itself.

The city was a mess beyond recognition, nowhere near recovering from the Grimm overtake just a few months prior. The least Qrow could say is that things were calm and lots of visible huntsmen and huntresses were walking around that gave citizens a safe feeling. The two of them made their way into the city and to a small house.

"Oz." James smiled and greeted warmly when the older gentleman answered the door, he was tall with glasses and grayish-white hair, a fancy cane in one hand.

"James I was beginning to worry when you took so long and didn't check in over scroll!" He peeked around James' shoulder and kept smiling as he eyed Qrow, "Come on in, both of you."

He wasn't what Qrow had expected, all he knew about Ozpin was from the hatred spewings Salem lashed out whenever she had the chance. Whereas just being in her presence was enough to fill Qrow with an ice-cold fear straight down to his very soul Ozpin didn't give off that feeling but neither did he give off waves of comfort, he just seemed like a normal man.

"Coffee?" the man offered walking over to his freshly brewed pot and pouring himself a mug and one for James already knowing the answer to that.

"Yes, that sounds great," James said predictably.

"And you, young man, would you like coffee?"

"Too bitter," Qrow said standoffishly and stayed near and slightly behind James who looked surprised, this was the first time he'd seen Qrow turn down food or a beverage when he wasn't incredibly ill.

"Very well, have a seat get comfortable and James please tell me everything that has happened since our last call." the man requested.

Qrow opted for the seat on the couch next to where James sat across from Ozpin, who leaned against his armchair instead of taking a seat himself. It was boring but Qrow kept himself silent the entire time listening to James recite things he had been there for, only perking up when James explained how he'd hacked his way into his father's computer to learn the codes so he could break Qrow out of the Atlas facility.

Of course all of the parts about them talking and where Qrow had taken a ride inside of James' coat were conveniently left out, that was fine he preferred it that way as well. Yes this was Salem's mortal enemy but that didn't make him Qrow's friend, he only trusted Ozpin slightly because of James' praiseful words.

"I'm sorry you two went through so much but I knew I could count on you to bring him here and check on the Haven relic for me, I'd suspected something was wrong. Thank you James." the thanks made James' face light up, he admired Ozpin and that sent a foul sense of jealousy squirming through Qrow's chest.

"Qrow." the older man said, "You and I have much that needs to be discussed, James leave us please." the other man ushered.

"Wait what?" Qrow jumped up from the couch when James made a move to step out and head into town without any questions asked towards his dismissal. "Why can't he hear what you've got to ask me?"

"Some things aren't for my ears." James himself answered and he set a hand on top of Qrow's head, "I'll be back in an hour." Qrow almost reached out for the other but held himself back and watched James disappear from the house as quickly as they had arrived.

When the door clicked shut Qrow suddenly felt trapped, the house was large and his hands were free but this place began to feel like a cage.

"Fascinating, I knew you were young but I hadn't guessed you were even younger than James," Ozpin said first as Qrow turned to face him rather than the door, still standing and now on edge.

"Ask what you want but I don't have information to give you, if I knew how to kill her I would have told someone long ago." maybe back when he'd been young and dared to misbehave with her.

"You've been in Salem's care for how long now? Fifteen going on sixteen years? You're far more useful than you know."

Crossing his arms Qrow leaned his back against the nearest wall, "What is it you want to talk about that James can't hear? No bullshit just cut straight to the point."

"I know the sort of things you've been through, you have more reason than most to want Salem gone and I've found a way. Not to kill her but to put her into a permanent sleep."

That all sounded far too good to be true, "Why don't you do it yourself? I assume you're not. And why only now? Does this have to do with the missing relic you didn't seem all that concerned about?" Qrow spouted out all of the questions on his mind.

"I would but Salem would sense me miles away if I approached, I would never get near her. As for the method I blame myself, for so long I had only asked the relic of knowledge how to _kill_ Salem instead of just subdue her. This is our answer to quieting the world, this method will put both her and myself into a long endless slumber because we are two sides of the same coin." Ozpin explained.

"Alright I'm curious, what do you want me to do?"

"Using the last of my personal magic I was able to absorb all of the relics from this distance and seal it all away in a small container, it's all of the natural magic left in the world aside from Salem herself." Dust was a different type of power and far too refined to the elements for such a process.

From his pocket Ozpin pulled out a small glass shell with swirling colored magic inside, something so powerful that fit in the palm of one's hand. "I'm going to give this to James to use, absorbing this will give the user enough magic that if directed properly by the right person can cast a spell that will even put Salem to sleep."

For a moment Qrow only saw red and he jumped forward so fast that Ozpin hadn't seen it, grabbing the older man by the front of his shirt and shoving him back against the wall behind. "You bastard that would kill him, his aura is already weak! You're sending him on a suicide mission and you aren't even going to tell him!? Not to mention he would never make it near her on his own!"

Calmly Ozpin only smiled sadly, "That's why I want you to go with him, you know the area best, you can get him near her so that he can do this."

"No, just give it to me I'll do it instead!" Qrow demanded and shoved Oz harder into the wall enough to make the man grunt with discomfort.

"Unfortunately I don't trust you well enough to give you something so powerful, but seeing how you are together I do trust you to take care of James and follow his lead. He can strengthen your unsettled thoughts and keep you on the right path whereas alone I have no doubt you would slink back to Salem like the beaten dog you are."

"I refuse." he seethed out, "I refuse to help you get James killed."

"Oh." the man's lips turned up in a small smirk intentionally picking at getting under Qrow's skin, "You like him a bit more than I thought, that's sweet. James will do this with or without you if I tell him to, and even if I tell him he will die. I simply choose not to keep his last days peaceful so please do not tell him."

Just as the front door opened and footsteps walked in Qrow didn't have enough time to stop himself from being heard, "You're no better than she is!" and slammed his fist into Ozpin's face before strong hands restrained his upper arms and pulled him away.

"Qrow!" a harsh voice scolded, "What the hell is wrong with you?" Pushing the younger back James stepped forward to help Oz to his feet from where the punch had landed him. "Are you alright?"

Cradling his swelling jaw and cheek Oz nodded and the bastard had the nerve to smile, "It was my own fault, I said something I shouldn't have."

Angry and steaming Qrow made a loud noise of anger before storming out the front door and was gone in a flash of dark feathers even though James called his name.

"Let him go." Oz said easing himself into his armchair, "I have things to talk to you about too that should only be for your ears."

///

James was awake late into the night but not because of Qrow, he could feel by their tether he wasn't far and had no intention of leaving without return. No, his mind was on all of the things Ozpin had told him about this next big job, it was _the_ big job and Oz was trusting him to take care of it all on his own.

He was excited and scared and hopeful, this is what he'd wanted since meeting Oz and learning the whole truth of Salem. James had always wanted to help people it was why he entered the military academy in the first place, Ozpin had just opened his eyes to the cause that could save thousands of lives if not more from Grimm attacks every year.

Getting restless late that night James got up for a glass of water only to find Qrow curled up and asleep on the couch snoring softly, smiling to himself James grabbed his winter coat and draped it over the sleeping form. "Glad you came back," he whispered but hadn't been worried about it in general.

After his glass of water and a trip to the bathroom, James stopped in the middle of the small living room and glanced towards his guest room and then Qrow's sleeping form, there was no way he'd be able to sleep if he went back to that bed.

Instead, James opted to sit with his back against the couch on the floor and pulled up his scroll to plot out his best coarse of travel to his next destination, he would be leaving tomorrow to make his best timing. The back of his head rested against Qrow's back that was turned towards him as he curled up towards the inside of the couch.

James blinked his sleepy eyes open later that early morning hearing the coffee brewing and bubbling, yawning he moved to stretch and heard a small groan behind him. Lifting his head quickly from where it rested James gasped, sometime during the night Qrow had turned around and curled oppositely until James' head had been resting on top of Qrow's instead of on his back.

Their eyes met when James pulled back, Qrow's eyes just peeked open a slit but the dark red peering through was vibrant and the younger mumbled, "Hi." before yawning, "What time is it?" his voice turned into a loud groan.

"Too early." he smiled and put his metal hand over Qrow's face, "Go back to sleep."

"Don't have to tell me twice." the younger said and pulling the coat further over himself to cover his face and tried to slip back into a snooze.

Picking himself off the floor James met Oz in the kitchen and gladly took a cup of coffee to start waking himself up, "I didn't realize my guest bed was so uncomfortable you'd prefer the floor." Oz teased making James choke on his coffee and almost spit it out.

"It-no it wasn't that!"

Ozpin just smiled and chuckled, "Don't worry, just rest up and eat, you have a long journey ahead of you." Sipping at his mug the man cleared his throat, "Will you be taking him with you?"

"Qrow? I haven't decided, I don't even know if he will say yes."

"He doesn't have a choice if you order him to." that suggestion felt odd to James, Ozpin had always been about freedom in his mind. "Unless you were thinking of releasing him from the hold, he probably would have no idea what to do with himself in total freedom."

"Why do you say that?" James closed his hands tighter around his mug, he didn't know all that much about Qrow or his past but it sounded like Ozpin knew some.

"He's been under Salem's influences since he was five, that kind of life would change anyone."

James' throat felt like it went completely dry, "He was with her that long...?" Suddenly a lot of things about Qrow's behaviors made a lot more sense and the fact that he wasn't a mindless killing machine was astounding. "I'm going out for a bit for supplies, I need some time to think about things."

By the time he came back Qrow was awake, James' coat still over his shoulders and hadn't been discarded yet. James couldn't help but think he looked cute drowning in the large coat. He set his pack of supplies down by the door and headed inside, "Oz I'm going to be leaving now."

"Already?" Qrow spoke up and walked over to James offering him his coat back which he happily took.

"Yeah, and I have something I need to talk to you about privately once we get outside of town." James' features solidified into stone and his voice turned colder like when they had first met. "Thank you," he said when Ozpin handed him the glowing bottled wrapped in cloth that James stuffed into his pocket.

"No thank you James, there's no one I would trust more with this job."

"That means a lot, I won't disappoint you."

The interaction made Qrow want to puke his guts up, he tugged at his companions' arm to hurry things along, "Yeah nice to meet you and shit, we'll be going now."

When the door closed leaving Ozpin alone he just smiled to himself, "I have faith in you, the both of you, to pull this off."

///

The noise of Vale behind them and the trees were in their path once again before James stopped and touched both of Qrow's shoulders, "Thank you for whatever you told Ozpin so that he could put this plan together. No don't talk yet if I don't say all I want to I might chicken out." James said quickly when QRow opened his mouth to interrupt.

"I'd like it if you came with me but I'm not ordering you to, in fact I'm just realizing that I should have done this a while ago." closing his eyes James brought his aura forth, surrounding himself and Qrow alike in the ice blue color which slowly revealed the tether connecting them.

"Wait James what are you-" Qrow murmured and physically felt it in his chest when the tether snapped in half and flurried away into nothing, immediately Qrow pushed James' hands off of him and took a step back with wide eyes.

The weight of the tether gone from his shoulders, nothing restraining him from doing anything that Qrow wanted. He could go on a murderous rampage, he could go become a hermit in the woods or change into a crow never to change back. He was free, so why did he feel so angry?"

"Why the hell would you do that!?"

James was taken back by the reaction, his smile gone, "I thought you'd be happy."

"Well I'm not!" Qrow's voice broke and clenching his fists tightly his nails dug into the skin of his palms, "I'm not happy like this and I'm not happy about what you're going to do! I refuse to help you get yourself killed doing something for that bastard!"

"Don't call him that, he's a good man."

"He's not, he's as bad as Salem but he covers it up with a human face and a kind smile!" stepping forward Qrow shoved James in the chest angrily, "I don't care how he changed your life that doesn't mean you have to throw your life away for a coward!"

"You're one to talk, you're afraid of everything." James said in a tone that cut straight through Qrow's feelings like a knife, "You're scared and don't trust yourself that's why you didn't want the tether gone, I thought you might step up and help me but instead you've decided to stay a coward and back down from Salem."

"Asshole I know that." Qrow sniffled, "Doesn't mean you have to say it. Call me a coward if you want but you should be scared of her, she has fucked me up beyond recognition and she wasn't even trying!"

"Qrow calm down stop yelling." James reached for him but had his hand slapped away.

"Don't fucking tell me to calm down, I know what that psycho is capable of and you're walking right into her grasp! For once I wish you could see all of the scars my aura has healed over the years then maybe you would think twice about this!" his voice grew louder again as several tears dripped from his eyes that Qrow angrily wiped away. "I'm so broken because of her, outside and inside." he finished by touching over his heart.

"That's why I'm doing this, for people like you...for _you_ so you don't have to be scared to be free, I need you to understand that!" James said back urgently but tried not to start a yelling match. He tried again to reach forward to brush the shining tears away from Qrow's eyes but was shoved back once again.

"And I need you to understand that I can't watch you die James," Qrow said more calmly but with all of the sorrow in the world filling his words as he changed into a crow and shot off in a random direction.

"Qrow!" James called after him with saddened eyes, "Wherever you choose to go, be safe please." he mumbled.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qrow races off to James' rescue and stretches some fighting muscles he hasn't in a long time. They finally confront Salem and the event goes better or worse than they thought, depending on who you ask.

Qrow flew hard and fast until his wings tired and was forced to land in a tree and change back, clinging to the branches as a soft filled his chest. "This isn't fair, this isn't fucking FAIR!"

A short amount of time ago Qrow had wished to travel with James forever, dangers came their way but it was the happiest time of Qrow's life and he wasn't ready for it to end. He knew it wasn't crazy that there was something akin to a friendship between them, he didn't understand it from James' perspective but that didn't mean he couldn't see it.

His heart ached at the thought of his companion, no his friend, dying in front of him, something like that he knew would break him permanently. Qrow had saved James once from Lionheart before Qrow had known just how much the other man's presence would mean to him soon enough. 

James was the first person since Raven who had touched him without intent to cause pain, the first person Qrow had moved into danger to protect, and the first person Qrow had laughed with like a real friend. He almost felt pathetic getting so attached so fast.

Qrow cried for a long time until his throat was hoarse and his eyes red and puffy. "Why do I miss that idiot already?" he whimpered and wiped his eyes with his already damp sleeves. A fresh calmness washed over him, that cry hadn't just been for the thought of losing James but all of the times in the past that Qrow hadn't been able to cry when he wanted to.

There was still so much he wanted to know about James, more about his past, his accident and prosthetics, what kind of hobbies he did when he wasn't out saving the world, mundane shit. Qrow wasn't ready for their time and conversations together to end.

Right now his life was his own, Qrow could do whatever he wanted thanks to James so what did he want? He could start a life for himself anywhere, get a job, steal, kill Grimm for fun, protect people, he could even disappear without a trace off the face of Remnant.

What was important to him?

Qrow thought long and hard sitting in that tree until the sun moved high and his stomach began to growl, he scratched his nails against his arm a few times causing a small pain that chased away a creeping dysphoric feeling in the back of his mind. Right that was still a thing too, it had been better after spending so much time like a human but Qrow had yet to shake his want to turn back into a bird permanently.

"He's going to get killed one way or another if I don't go after him, _but_...if I go I could protect him. Make sure I'm the first to die between us, that would be a death I'd be willing to take," he spoke to himself standing on stiff legs in the tree with great balance.

Clenching and unclenching his hands Qrow said again to just the forest, "I just need to remember how to do this, I guess you'll be good practice." gazing down at the bottom of the tree were several small boar Grimm having sensed his despair and clawed at the tree trying to get at him.

///

James had been making good time across the continent and not getting lost this time in the thick brush of unfamiliar territory, he hadn't been expecting serious trouble until crossing over to the Dark Continent. He was sorely mistaken.

Four days after leaving Vale and parting ways with Qrow the worst James had run into were some nasty Grimm that he took his frustrations out on and towards the evening he'd come to a clearing near the ocean. A small aircraft was waiting for him here just as he'd requested but before he could board an attack came from his side.

A scorpion tail tore the right side of James' clothes as a mischevious laugh backflipped away from him as he held the attacked area and glared.

A scorpion Faunus man with a crazed look in his eyes, razor gauntlets on his wrists with guns built in and in a battle stance ready to shed blood. "I thought you would be fun to play with but a strike like that from my tail will kill you within the hour!" he laughed.

Lowering his hand to lift his gun in the air James smiled and shrugged, "Guess today isn't your lucky day." metal shined from where the tail had struck.

"Now isn't that a fun addition?" the man's grin didn't lessen and if James wasn't mistaken it widened, "All the more fun for me."

Whereas James had the advantage while they fought with his whole right side being made of metal and incapable of being poisoned it also made him much more cautious of his vulnerable left side, and this Faunus was extremely fast and hard to hit with a gun whereas James was a much slower fighter but harder hitting when he landed one with his fist.

He was losing. James was running out of stamina and his aura was weak all of the time so when it inevitably ran out he was going to be even more vulnerable. A hard kick shattered his aura just as he was thinking about it, all of his natural shielding gone as James landed painfully on his ass holding his stomach and gasping.

Stepping closer the Faunus looked at him with a self-congratulatory smile knowing he had James right where he wanted the man, lifting his tail as it dripped dark venom readying in the air to strike. "What was it you said earlier, that today isn't my lucky day?"

James' hand shot to his other gun but the strike came too fast and he slammed his eyes shut waiting for venomous pain, instead there was a loud echoing noise of the tail hitting metal but not James' metal.

"Qrow?" James couldn't believe his eyes while Qrow stood facing him with a confident look on his face and expertly holding a large sword behind him that the Faunus' tail had collided with.

Not saying anything directly to James the other turned and swiped once at the scorpion Faunus just to make him jump back a few feet. "Tyrian, I guess I don't have to ask why you're here."

"Qrow..." Tyrian frowned for once and practically spat the name out venomously, "Her Grace sent me out to clean up a mess you made, step aside or be ready for a painful death."

"The fact that you haven't attacked me yet tells me that you're scared." Qrow smirked spinning his sword over in his hand once with grace and ease, "You should be, I'm the bad luck he mentioned earlier." Qrow said calmly as a fresh and violent bloodlust filled his red eyes.

With a speed James' eyes could barely follow the two darted forward clashing weapon against weapon, each narrowly avoiding swipes from the other and every time his eyes caught the look in Qrow's as he was just warming up it sent a cold shiver down the man's metal spine. This, this was the undefeated assassin everyone feared that James had been expecting to meet that day in the jungle.

At a particularly hard clashing Qrow put a little more strength into it sending Tyrian flying back and just narrowly managing to land on his feet and lifting his gauntlets to block the incoming attack against him. Qrow fought the opposite of how he appeared, gracefully, with strength and confidence, and sadly with the sole intent to kill not just defeat.

Qrow built up his momentum and slammed the blade of his sword against Tyrian hard enough that several trees behind the Faunus caught the excess energy and wind, being sliced in half. "I see you haven't improved any, no wonder you were never her favorite." Qrow aimed to cut deep with his words just as with his sword, pushing it harder down and gaining some leniency as Tyrian began to struggle.

Getting one up on Qrow the Faunus fired his guns inside the gauntlets forcing Qrow back enough to maneuver his sword to block them and gasped when a tail grabbed his wrist and flung his precious sword into the thick sand of the beach that bordered the ocean.

"Hah!" Tyrian boasted until a fist collided with his jaw, Qrow dashed for his sword, flinging it up hard spraying sand into Tyrian's face when he tried to attack the other's back.

The two danced back and forth in almost even rhythm but James got the feeling Qrow was not using his full strength, he didn't look worried and like he was nearly having fun. A scream erupted from the Faunus when cruelly his tail was cut in half, he grabbed at his cut appendage mourning the loss and great pain.

Qrow stood before him and clicked the lever on his sword, gears whirled and the sword pulled apart revealing the true form Qrow carried, a large dark scythe.

"So what, you're going to kill me? Not like that's new for you, just another to your count!" Tyrian yelled clutching his limp tail to his chest as the dark blood and venom from the end coated his chest and shirt.

"It's different this time, for the first time in my life I'm protecting something. You wouldn't understand." Tyrian was too far gone, he always had been. Qrow didn't know anything of his past but since the day he'd been brought into Salem's grasp Tyrian had been a monster by pure choice.

James looked away but he heard the slice and his eyes saw a small portion of the blood from the final strike and pulled himself to his feet a decent distance away. When Qrow approached him his scythe disappeared in a flash reminding James of how quickly Qrow changed from bird to human and vice versa.

His eyes had returned to normal and Qrow held his arms behind his back, "Hey...so uh...good thing I decided to check up on you?" That sounded more like the Qrow he knew instead of the one that had been fighting back there. "Are you scared of me now?"

Reaching forward James yanked Qrow forward into a tight hug, resting his chin on top of the other's head. "It was unsettling but now I see why you've avoiding violence as long as you did around me, it consumes you. Frankly, I don't care about that right now." he could deal with thoughts about that later, "I'm just so happy to see you Qrow."

Qrow's arms wound their way around James' back tightly and he leaned his forehead against the other's chest, "Sorry I flew off, I panicked."

"I'm sorry too, we both could have handled that better," James said relief prevalent in his voice and tugged back just a smidge from the hug to look Qrow in the face and run his metal hand through the short dark messy hairs. "Does this mean you're coming with me after all?"

"Yes, mostly we'll just have a lot of Grimm to clear out of our path now that Tyrian is taken care of. The rest of her little pawns are scattered all over Remnant and don't spend much time with her. I'll be able to sneak you in to the palace easy enough but once we're there we are officially on her home turf." he promised and slowly let go from the hug and walked side by side with James onto the aircraft.

Once James got them in the air and on autopilot for the next few hours they both kicked back and relaxed in the front seats looking towards one another.

"James you do know this is a suicide mission...don't you?"

Slowly the other nodded, "I do, I'm willing. That's even more so why I'm happy you're here, there's no one else I'd rather have my back and spend my last few weeks with than you."

Qrow visibly blushed and became flustered, "You must not have many options then."

"I don't but that doesn't lessen how I feel, we're....we're friends, aren't we?" James nearly stumbled over the word not sure if it was the correct one but not brave enough to ask for more than that.

"Of course we are." Qrow said in an almost hush, "You think I would save your life multiple times if I didn't consider us friends by now?" A moment like this shouldn't feel so wonderful he thought to himself but Qrow couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of happiness being alone in a quiet world together with James.

"You do that a lot." the other pointed out, gesturing to where Qrow was unconsciously spinning one of the rings on his right hand.

"Oh, yeah I guess I do. They're the only thing I own from whatever life I had before Salem, this one is mine and this one was Raven's, my sister's. She gave it to me the last time I saw her, the day Salem sent her away." one had a black band with a white middle and the other ring had the same colors but swapped around, they didn't look very expensive but well made at the least.

"I'm surprised she sent her away, she could have had you both work for her." James couldn't help but think out loud.

"I always thought it was because together we wouldn't break and Raven was far stronger willed than me, so she was sent away. Salem promised as long as we didn't try to find each other she wouldn't kill either of us." Smiling softly Qrow slipped the ring with the black band off of his finger and held it out for James to inspect, "That one is mine."

"It suits you." he complimented holding the ring up to the sun to let it shine, "Funny, you know they say crows like to collect shiny things don't you?"

Swiping the ring back and shoving it on his finger Qrow exclaimed, "I can turn into a crow I don't have the mind of one!" Okay maybe he did like to pick up certain fun looking rocks or coins that were bent in odd shapes and other little trinkets but like hell he was going to admit that to James right now! "Speaking of shiny things." he gestured to the tear in James' shirt from the fight. "How far down does that go?"

He'd always been under the assumption it was contained just to James' arm and the single strip on one side of his forehead but clearly Qrow had been wrong. It was James' turn to blush and glance away and Qrow took that differently as he looked down towards the older man's crotch, "Wait don't tell me..."

"What? No! Qrow get your mind out of the gutter! It's my entire right half, shoulder, chest, hip, leg and all." It was something he had never been fully comfortable with, others didn't accept his prosthetics so why would James feel comfortable with them?

Sitting up from his chair Qrow leaned down and tapped his finger against James' leg to feel the metal and then went up, tapped again, up, tapped again, making his way to James' hip and chest and then taking the robotic arm into both of his hands and slowly touching his hands down it through the sleeve. "Doesn't it bother you?"

"Does it look like it bothers me?" Qrow shot back with a smile and once reaching the end he slipped his hand into James' metal one linking their fingers and palms together, "It's you so I like it."

A warm hand cradled Qrow's cheek and for a moment it looked like James was contemplating pulling him into a kiss but Qrow quickly found himself gruffly pulled into James' lap instead, the chair leaned back and cuddling into the other's chest. "How did it happen?" he drew a finger softly over the metal half of James' chest feeling all of the contouring lines under the shirt.

"A training mission while I was working to join the military, a group of us were clearing Grimm out of an Atlas dust mine, this one idiot was goofing off and irritated a large bundle of dust. I got caught in the blast, a few people and Faunus ended up dying and I was one of the few who survived." just talking about it brought back terrible memories James wanted to stay far in the past, he'd never spoken out about them to anyone, not even Ozpin.

"It must have been painful, you're really strong to make it through something like that." Qrow complimented.

"I feel worse for the poor Faunus girl they ended up pinning everything on, she...she..." he had to swallow hard before continuing, "She killed herself not long after I woke up in the hospital. Once I started healing and heard about everything that's when I started looking at the world differently and seeing how corrupt my father, and Atlas, has become in recent years."

"I'm sorry." Qrow's voice became even softer and he closed his eyes resting on James' firm chest with his legs hanging over the man's lap. "We don't have to talk about painful things."

"No it's good that I tell someone, my problems are nothing compared to what you've gone through in the past with Salem."

There was too much in that trauma package for Qrow to unravel in one long ship ride. Beatings, forced mental hallucinations, harsh training, isolation, being stuck in that fucking cage for months on end, tethered and being controlled like a puppet...Qrow would never fully heal from all of that, he'd accepted it as such.

"None of it matters right now, we should focus on getting you to her palace in one piece."

The continent lived up to its name, it was dark and dismal and everything was dead, Grimm crawling everywhere but Qrow had insisted on landing not far inland. Safer to walk than draw suspicion by aircraft he'd said and proceeded to murder every Grimm in their sight within three strikes of his sword.

"I could help too you know?" James teased.

"Nah you've got to save your strength, let me take care of the weaklings." Qrow smiled and winked at his companion, "Besides it calms my nerves, I'm trying not to freak out getting this close to her."

///

Ozpin had been right, Qrow was the perfect person to sneak someone into Salem's palace completely unspotted. He knew every path of the continent, every Grimm species in their wake, every secret entrance to the building along with the collapsed rooms and squeaky floorboards. Maybe this was the one positive thing that could come from spending so much agonizing time in this deary place.

Walking along quietly James' hand was on his favored gun in case they ran into any crawling Grimm or problems when Qrow bumped into his other side clumsily. "Oof sorry, my uh my head is just a bit overwhelmed." he apologized and James thought nothing of it.

Everything felt too easy but Qrow had to remind himself as they approached the large doors to Salem's courtroom that she couldn't see or sense his presence anymore and even if she knew they were here she was positive that she couldn't be killed. What did she have to fear from them?

"Ready?" James asked pulling his gun ou and holding it a the ready, a Queen always had guards he thought to himself.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Qrow hadn't summoned his sword and instead clenched his hands that were visibly shaking, he swallowed hard and gave an affirmed nod. Together they pushed the doors open.

The room was dark, a large table in the middle and windows everywhere showing the void of the outside that was this continent. At the other end of the room Salem stood in her confident glory looking out the window and turning slowly, her robes billowing around her and a small pedestal next to her with an open and empty birdcage.

She smiled and looked directly at Qrow, "Welcome home little bird."

Qrow swallowed hard as his throat dried instantly, he could do this, he could do this.

"This isn't his home and you don't own him," James spoke up when Qrow couldn't get his voice or feet to work.

"For now that may be true but once I rid him of your presence he'll be begging me to put him back in his cage. He draws his strength to defy me from you just like he did from his sister." she stepped forward and held her hand out to Qrow. "Come to me and I promise not to kill him little bird."

The offer was tempting, Qrow wouldn't deny that. For a moment he almost gave in and would have flown to Salem and let her lock him away if it meant James could live a happy life but as he looked to the side and saw the way James didn't even look at him with worry that he might give in, it gave him strength.

"I see." Salem frowned deeply and lowered her hand, "I assume Ozpin sent you here with some big plan? My intel tells me the relics have already disappeared from both the Vacuo and Vale vaults, Qrow would not have brought you here without a plan, so let's see what it is. I cannot be killed."

"Perhaps not killed but I can contain you so the world can live in peace, from you at least," James said with his head held high and holstered his gun and reached for his other only to find it missing. Looking down quickly James felt a flash of panic in his chest.

"Sorry," Qrow said softly with guilt lacing his tone as he took a few steps back from James and summoned the man's gun from the same little pocket dimension he kept his sword in. "I couldn't let you do it."

The tip of the gun glowed with magic just as it had done that first day in the jungle between them, a magic bullet crafted by Ozpin just as the other had been but with much more kick and a much different purpose.

"Qrow what are you doing?" James asked his voice brittle with dread, "Give me back my gun this is for me to do."

"Idiot." Qrow croaked out and his eyes began to gloss over as he smiled, James wasn't even thinking of the possibility that Qrow was going to betray him, it made Qrow so happy he wanted to cry.

As Qrow raised the gun to his head and stepped back as James reached out to him just as Salem was realizing just what the two were up to and shot her arms out in long stretchy Grimm fashion to dig their claws into Qrow's flesh and attempt to grab the gun away.

"Thanks, for everything," Qrow said with finality to his tone as the gun fired and the room exploded in red light the same color as Qrow's eyes.

///

Waking up felt sudden, one moment Qrow had been in the dark calm nothingness of his mind with nothing going on and the next he was shoved back into reality staring at a cream-colored ceiling. He was tucked into a neat bed and slowly pushed himself up and looked out the window next to him.

The sun was bright, the windowsill had several vases with flowers on it and outside the window was the city of Vale with humans and Faunus walking around in their every day lives.

Looking down at himself Qrow checked everything over, nothing was missing and relatively he wasn't in much pain. There was a lingering headache, his muscles were incredibly sore and his ribs felt bruised but being awake and alive it was considerably less than Qrow would have thought.

A book and a glass hit the ground, the latter shattering as James found Qrow up and awake. "You're awake," James said astonished and in a few long strides was sitting on the bed and holding Qrow's face in his hands looking him over.

"Hi." a soft smile crossed Qrow's face, "Hey now what's this? I didn't think James Ironwood cried." he lifted the bed sheets and wiped away the slow dripping tears on James' cheeks and into the heavy scruff that had grown there.

"You were asleep for so long." the crack in James' voice shot an arrow straight through Qrow's heart. "Nearly three months and your body was a wreck, I thought you'd never wake up."

"I feel pretty good, to be honest," Qrow admitted, his eyes grew the size of dinner plates when James leaned and pressed their foreheads together, he could feel the heated blush crawling up his face. "What happened?"

"It worked, I've got Salem and Oz sleeping somewhere safe for now at least. The entire Dark Continent has dried up and no more Grimm are spawning but the ones that already exist didn't fade away as I'd hoped." he rubbed his thumb over Qrow's cheek and sat back giving their faces some space.

"You were really worried about me, weren't you?"

"Of course I was." James huffed, "When the light faded away you were still alive but I saw you on the ground, a lot of your bones were broken and your aura refused to activate. I used mine to help fix some of your wounds but you almost died Qrow."

Qrow leaned into James' metal hand on his cheek when the other one slipped away, "I'm sorry for scaring you."

"I'm still mad at you for stealing my gun but I have had three months to mull things over and I decided that when, not if, you finally woke up I wasn't going to yell at you right off the bat." the older man promised, his eyes never leaving Qrow's face as his metal thumb brushed just under Qrow's lips. "I had something else I wanted to tell you first."

"O-Oh you do now? Me too." Qrow hadn't meant that to sound so flirty, his heart was pounding and his red eyes flickered down to how James was cradling his cheek. Was this going where he thought it was going?

"I think I tracked down your sister," James said pulling his hand away and smiling proudly with the good news.

Qrow was torn between two feelings, on one hand he was slightly disappointed but what should he have expected? "Seriously? That's amazing James!" planting his hands down onto the bed Qrow sat up taller sitting on his legs and winced, touching one hand over his ribs. "Still sore."

"Your ribs were pretty shattered, I should be checking you over today anyways to see your progress. And we should test if we can get your aura to reactivate." he pushed himself up from the bed and moved to go fetch a few things but stopped and turned his head, "What was it you wanted to tell me?"

"Hm? Uh, oh right!" nervously Qrow rubbed the back of his head, "I like the beard, it's a good look!"

///

James quickly fled to the kitchen and pressed his back to the wall, running his fingers through the beard he had been growing and neglecting to shave off. He was a coward, he had completely chickened out on his plan to kiss Qrow that he'd been eagerly waiting to put into motion for the last few weeks.

His heart felt as if it was going to rip out of his chest with how hard it was beating but as usual, he managed to put on a nice mask concealing his flustered feelings. "It's fine, there will be plenty of other chances," he told himself and grabbed his supplies from the kitchen table where he'd been keeping them.

Back in the room James used his Atlas grade medical scanner to check over every inch of injury. "Looking good." he winked and watched Qrow frown as he sat up and avoid eye contact. "Your ribs are the only things still healing, any other pain I think is that you need to start working your muscles again."

"What sort of shit have you been putting in me while I sleep?"

James was an adult, hearing that sentence out of Qrow shouldn't have made him sputter and flush like he did only calming down when he saw Qrow rifling through his other supplies that he'd ordered directly from Atlas, jars, and needles on a large carrying tray.

"Yes, lots of vitamins and aura boosters." It hadn't been cheap but in the moment of express shipping things James hadn't cared how much he spent if it helped Qrow wake up and heal. "Qrow," he called suddenly as he scrolled through the electronic scanner checking all vitals and double checking. "How do you feel?"

"I already said I feel pretty damn good, especially considering you said I almost died." Qrow didn't dare to stand up yet but he did sling his legs over the bed and pressed his feet to the wooden floor, curling and uncurling his toes cracking a few.

"I mean mentally. You're alive, I'm alive, you have no tether holding you back, and Salem is gone. She can't hurt you anymore." those were the only things he couldn't scan for, medicine could only check so much but couldn't tell James how Qrow felt in his head and his heart. If he could then he wouldn't be as worried about kissing the other man.

The younger had to think about it for a moment, breathing in and out a few times deeply. "Right now I feel at peace, things will probably hit me down the road but as for now, I feel good. This, all of this, is a chance for me to have a fresh start on life. I need to figure out exactly what I want, and speaking of that do you um...do you know what you'll be doing now?"

"I'm not sure either, for so long I've been doing what Ozpin asked of me traveling the world but not paying attention to it and just being focused on the job." James was starting a new period of his life free of any good or bad influence from someone, like Qrow, just deciding for once what to do for himself. "I won't be deciding anything until you're up and about with no problems, your health is my number one priority currently."

They had already saved the world in a sense and regular licensed hunters could take care of the majority of Grimm now that they weren't newly spawning, so what other problems were urgent? "What about your father?" Qrow brought up.

"Mn, what about him?" James frowned with distaste.

"We could go back to Atlas, safer and undetected this time, and sort of mess with him? We could get him fired from the council and make sure someone better takes his place." the younger suggested and pulled his knees to his chest looking up at where James was beginning to pace with his hands held behind his back.

"It wouldn't solve everything, and it wouldn't be easy but it certainly would be the first step in the right direction for Atlas. It's an idea, we can talk more about that sometime." by the sound of his voice James' knew they should do something about his father, they had the brains and strength to figure something out together but it wasn't a pleasant thing. Having to overthrow your asshole father that you were estranged from. "What about your sister? I've tracked down rumors and stories that could place her out in Anima."

"I do want to see her." Qrow hesitated to say, he was a bit scared to think and hope that he might have family out there somewhere. What would Raven be like at this age with so much time spent apart, would she still love him after all of this time? "If she is out there she won't be going anywhere so no rush on that."

Watching Qrow's face scrunch up as he thought about unpleasant things James gave a soft smile and moved to place his hand on the other's dark scruffy hair and ruffle it. "Don't think so hard, I can see the gears turning and smoke coming out of your ears." then tilted his head when Qrow's face finally relaxed, "You just woke up, give everything time to settle in and I'm sure by the time you're healed and ready for travel that we can figure out what we both want."

He would likely come to his senses and be filled with a need for a purpose, a drive, a mission, but Qrow's mind was telling him one definitive.

He would follow James to the end of the world to stay with him longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will likely be the last. A long wrap up chapter with our slow burn finally igniting into a flame.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mantle is the perfect place to meet old friends, and confess one's feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Umm so I had a few ideas for a sequel but I've decided it actually flows better to mix those ideas into this story. So there are going to be about two more chapters to wrap up all of the plot points I want to get done and flesh out this cute budding romance more~ So here is a nice sweet chapter before shit hits the fan again for them.

"No you _don't_ understand! You said my aura and semblance should have returned weeks ago!" Qrow said in heated words. He and James had been living domestically together inside Ozpin's small house on the edge of Vale for the last month while Qrow was healing physically, mentally, and spiritually.

His body had been the fastest to heal thanks to James providing good medicine, care, and food. Qrow's mental state would never be perfect but it was above average thanks to being around someone he found great comfort in even if living a boring domestic life was slowly driving him insane.

Spiritually he wasn't doing so well, Qrow's aura refused to activate for more than a moment and in sparring matches that they had been having together recently it only took a few moderate strikes to break completely, only returning after a very long rest period. It worried the young man but he could deal with that, what he wasn't happy about was his inability to turn into a bird ever since putting Salem to sleep.

"I said under normal circumstances it should have but this isn't a normal circumstance!" James' voice was loud as well but not heated like Qrow's, he was only speaking loudly due to frustration and trying to be heard. "When that huge amount of magic ran through your body as a conduit you're lucky to be alive, your semblance and aura may never recover!"

They'd been over this, as harsh as it felt to tell Qrow that he might never be able to fly again James didn't think it was any better to sugarcoat the truth and this was the first time it seemed he was actually being listened to.

"Don't!" Qrow pointed an accusatory finger at him, "Don't _ever_ fucking say that!" Just the thought of staying in his human body forever without transforming made his recent bat of dysphoria all the greater.

"Then do you regret it? Taking the shot instead of letting me do it?" James' voice was stern this time and he didn't back down, this fight had been brewing for more than a week.

"Don't ever fucking say that either!" the other still yelled, "Of course I don't regret saving your life! You just, you don't understand what this is like for me James!"

"I do understand, I can't use my semblance anymore either because of my weak aura and prosthetics." they both knew James couldn't understand completely but he was trying his damnest to relate to Qrow and quell this issue.

"It's nowhere near the same." Qrow bit out, lowering his hand and clenching them both at his sides tightly. "I feel like I'm inside of a cage again like this." When James looked confused Qrow opened his mouth to explain, "I did so many horrible things, killed so many people, when Salem used to use me as an assassin often. That's before she found Tyrian and decided she would try that new toy and keep me locked away. It was so easy to forget who I was when I was a crow, sometimes I just need to be able to escape and go fly or clean my feathers..." feeling silly at that last part Qrow frowned deeper and began to blush.

"Hey." James said softly and reached to touch his companion's shoulder, "I'm not saying it won't ever come back, perhaps we should look into other outlets to help you feel better in the meantime."

Qrow shoved the hand off of his shoulder and childishly exclaimed, "I don't want a different outlet, I want my semblance!" turning on his heel and dashing to his borrowed bedroom and slamming the door in James' face. As quickly as the anger had burned a pang of new guilt started to form and Qrow's face softened as he turned and opened the door finding James standing there waiting for him.

"Sorry..." he whimpered lifting his red eyes to meet James' blue ones sadly, "I'm sorry, I'm just having a rough day. I want to go flying."

A small smile appeared on James' face and he reached stepping forward to envelop Qrow in a soft hug, resting his chin on the shorter man's head affectionately. "Don't worry about it. Maybe I can't understand exactly what you're going through but I have a decent idea, I felt the same sort of way a lot after getting my surgeries. I didn't feel like I was me anymore and I wasn't sure if I liked that or not. Some days I wanted to tear my circuits apart, a few times it got so bad I did pick at the ports enough to cause damage."

"It makes me feel so sick sometimes." Qrow spoke up gently, "I want this to be a fresh start, a new me but I can't forget about the past. How did you make it all go away?"

"I'm not sure you ever can completely but it helped once I'd met Ozpin and started helping people on my terms, not my father's. I started to like myself and hold my head higher." Pulling away from Qrow he touched a metal finger under Qrow's lowered chin to raise it, "I think what you need is fresh air, you _do_ fidget around this house every day like a caged bird. I think it's time for us to go like we discussed."

Qrow's eyes held a few unshed tears and he nodded, "I'd like that. It'll be nice to have something to focus on so that my mind won't constantly be on all of the negatives I've had in my life."

///

Their first stop, Atlas. But James was insistent it wasn't to do anything towards his father, that would draw too much attention to themselves when they were both still dealing with a lot.

Instead, it was because of Salem and Ozpin. When the magic had successfully put them both to sleep it had erased their physical forms and turned them into a similar ball of magic themselves. The specialty bullet casing, designed and made by Ozpin, that Qrow had shot himself with was also designed to soak up Salem's dark essence as her new containment.

Likewise, when James had returned to Oz's home in vale he found the man had prepared himself to the same fate, a single clear bullet casing filled with a bright magic swirling inside sat on the kitchen table with a small note to James simply stating his thanks if he were to somehow get to read the letter.

James pulled both bullet shells from his pocket to look them over, they were sturdy but he didn't trust himself with such dangerous things. They were going to Atlas to see an old friend of his and see if he had any Atlesian sturdy containers, something no one would ever be able to open, and then he and Qrow would sink those to the bottom of the ocean. Preferably halfway across the ocean from each other, just in case.

And there was one other reason James wanted to stop in Atlas first, he may have chickened out on confessing his feelings when Qrow had woken up and every time after that but he still needed to say something. He just needed to set the mood right, and where better than seeing the beautiful northern lights of Mantle? If Qrow rejected him after a date like that then James' chances had been nonexistent to begin with.

"Qrow are you ready yet?" James called stepping into the small living room to find the other waiting at the door already and smirking because of that.

"I've been ready, you're the one taking so long."

"It's called being prepared." which was why he was the one carrying a pack of supplies while Qrow preferred the lighter method of just a should satchel to store some food and basic things, and his heavy sword strapped to his back. Seemed that magic had also run out on him, he wasn't able to store weapons in whatever little pocket dimension he used to be able to, but Qrow had said he felt that was more due to Salem being gone than his aura.

Biting back the urge to roll his eyes James ushered Qrow out the door, "Get then, let's get moving." 

They had agreed to take this slow, they were going to take their time getting to Atlas and try to enjoy the scenery on their long trek. They would take a route through the Forever Fall forest out to the coast where James' small airship was being hidden and parked and then take that the long way around Mantle to where James' friend had a workshop.

The Forever Fall Forest was a beautiful place, red trees permanently colored but never falling. Being so close to a big city like Vale it was one of the first places to be cleared of the newly extinct-able Grimm, not to say that none had wandered back in but the chances of seeing some weren't likely.

Quiet, safe, beautiful, it was perfectly romantic and thoughts kept running through James' head as he watched Qrow walk just a few steps to his side. He needed to man-up and confess his feelings to the guy he'd fallen for hard.

"Qrow.." he called softly and reached slowly to take Qrow's hand in his, but just as he was about to make contact Qrow dashed forward and pulled his sword out.

Slicing through a berry bush twice, a small ursai Grimm groaning and falling out of the bush and crumbling away. Qrow turned and smiled, "Sorry, my body just moved on its own, what were you saying?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing..." falling back into a rhythmic walk together James cleared his voice with a slight frown, "You should be more careful Qrow, without your aura it's dangerous for you to fight Grimm recklessly."

"It was just a tiny one, no big deal." the other scoffed.

"Yes, but in the future please keep it in mind, for my sake and your own."

Qrow wanted to argue with that or whine but he had caused James enough trouble medically, he didn't need to add anything more to that list or weaken himself further. "I'll try," he promised.

Another romantic moment wasted, maybe that was fate telling James that the best place to try again would be in Mantle. For the time being he just tried to enjoy his time together with the person he cared so much about.

The light conversation carried them through much of their travel, just little meaningless things they spoke about or playfully argued, teased each other, it all made James' heart beat faster in his chest. They exited the edge of the forest and skirted up the western edge of the mountain glenn following that direction until they reached the tip of the continent and found James' ship stowed away perfectly untouched.

///

Decked out in a heavy coat and fuzzy scarf Qrow exited the ship where James had landed far outside the city limits of Mantle, the city lights could be seen in the distance. Rubbing his hands together Qrow blew hot breath into them as the cold wind chilled his body instantly, "Shit I forgot how cold this continent is."

"I told you I could buy you mittens and a hat as well." James chided, but Qrow had been insistent on only the bare essentials and not spending any more of James' money. "Be thankful your aura is still intact enough to shield you from basic things like the intense cold or you'd freeze before we made it to the city."

If he could have turned into a bird Qrow could have whined until James reluctantly carried him inside his coat pocket again, but he didn't want to think about that and focused on just walking quickly.

Being inside the city walls wasn't much warmer but much less windy so it was easier. "It's ridiculous how easy it is to sneak into this place without being seen," Qrow said under his breath to James.

"The walls around Mantle are broken up in places if you know where to look for them, it's in bad need of repair...something my father doesn't feel is worth spending Atlas' or Mantle's money on." he grumbled back, "This way, my friend's place isn't far."

The winding roads of this side of Mantle were tight and filled with passerby's tending to their business, humans, and Faunus going about their evenings as the sun was getting low and the temperatures dropping down further.

"Here," James said and opened the door to a small and broken down building with a rusted sign above saying _Repairs_ with a little wrench icon in the corner.

Despite the outside, the inside was bright and warm both in heat and a cozy homey feeling, books lining shelves and looking clean but used. "James!" a deep and older voice bellowed, "Wonderful to see you my boy, I had no idea you were back in Mantle!"

An old man with gray hair, dark skin, glasses, and in a wheelchair. James smiled brightly and moved out to lean and hug the man before pulling back, "Only on some business I was hoping you could help me with."

"Oh I was expecting you to ask me for a check-up, it's been too long since you've been looked over." the man said in a warm but scolding voice.

"Checkup?" Qrow muttered from the back of the room but inspecting things he realized just where they were, this was a prosthetic shop, "How long has it been?" he spoke up directing both pairs of eyes towards him.

"My apologies I didn't even see you there, I'm Pietro Poledina, and you are?"

Stepping forward next to James he said, "Qrow, I'm just James' friend. How long has it been since he's had a check-up?"

"I haven't personally checked out the prosthetics in, let's see.." Pietro fixed the glasses on his nose, "Has to be going on three years now. Unless you've been to see someone else?" He looked to James and crossed his arms, all three of them knew the answer to that by the silence.

"Since we're here you should let him check you over, you're always telling _me_ to look after my health better."

"I'd rather not." James said sternly and lightly sighed, "My prosthetics are extensive it would take a long time for a proper check-up and we have other things to take care of."

Turning to face James directly Qrow crossed his arms and furrowed his eyebrows, "So what if it takes an extra day? I thought we were taking our time on this trip?"

"Wonderful!" Pietro cut into the potential argument with one of his warmest smiles, "You two can come stay with me up in Atlas for the night and we'll talk about whatever you came to see me for."

"No!" both Qrow and James spoke up quickly in tandem.

"Don't want your father seeing you? I understand, why don't you both use my spare backroom here then for the night? I'll be back bright and early tomorrow to start your _thorough_ examination James Ironwood, and then you can tell me whatever you came to ask of me." Pietro said with finality to his voice but a smile and kindness Qrow had never seen in another person before.

"Thank you Pietro, really," James said and nudged Qrow's arm.

"Oh right, thanks!" he said much more casually just as his stomach growled loudly, James couldn't help but smile.

Pietro laughed, "Sounds like you need to feed him James, afraid I don't have a kitchen or food in this place other than some crackers. I'll be gone by the time you two get back but you remember the passcode to get in don't you James?"

"I do." the young man promised, "Thanks again. Let's go find some dinner Qrow."

///

After a hardy meal they returned to the warm but now empty shop, James relocked the door behind them as Qrow wandered into the back room to check on where they would be crashing for the night.

"I told you you can eat more than one meal if you're still hungry." James lectured hanging up his coat and slipping off his shoes. "I'm not broke I don't know why you're so concerned about my financial situation."

"I just don't like making you pay for all of my stuff, where do you even get your money from?" Qrow asked and was changing into his nightshirt as James stepped into the room.

The back room was cluttered with a lot of Pietro's experiments and spare pieces, an organized mess, and a single tiny twin bed in the corner. "You can have the bed, I don't mind sleeping on the floor." Qrow offered.

"Please." James started sarcastically, "You think I'm embarrassed to share a bed with you in tight quarters?" He was. He was incredibly embarrassed at the mere thought.

"Alright if you're sure." 

It wasn't the first time they'd cuddled, there was back at the Inn at Mistral, or the airship when they'd been off to confront Salem or a couple of times over the last month living together when Qrow's nightmares had woken him violently in the night.

This was the first time they had no excuse, no one had night terrors, they weren't off to die saving the world, they just wanted to share the bed. With the light off in the room neither could see their matching red blushes but Qrow didn't hesitate to lay half on James' chest and use him as a pillow.

"Don't you want to lay on the other side?" _my other side_ James meant, his non-metal one.

"No." Qrow yawned and snuggled in, "This side is nice and cool." He wasn't a fan of the cold out in Solitas but the gentle cooling of James' prosthetics was quite a pleasant contrary to their mixed body heat.

James slowly curled his metal arm around Qrow's back and leaned his cheek to the top of Qrow's head. He would never understand how little Qrow cared about his prosthetics, he never complained about touches from them being too rough or stiff, too cold and inhuman, things James had always worried about when getting close to someone.

Pietro wasn't kidding when he said he'd be by early, 5 am sharp and Qrow was already being kicked out of the shop by James' request. "My prosthetics go all the way down so I'll have to be naked for a lot of the check-up."

"Right." Qrow said slowly, "I know how to bide my time, I'll just check the city out and before you say anything don't worry, I'll keep a low profile and won't get into any trouble."

///

"Two containers, things nearly impossible to open? I'm sure I could whip something up for you this afternoon when we're finished here." Pietro promised, starting at James' foot checking the ports, wires, and gears and working his way up.

Since that conversation had taken all of two minutes the old man couldn't help himself asking a bit more. "You and this Qrow kid, you two are...? Just friends?"

The prodding and poking were uncomfortable in his prosthetics but it was the poking into his personal life that made him turn red in the face, "I like him, I think he likes me, we just haven't talked about it."

"I can't put my finger on why but he's strange to me, where did you meet him?"

"Just on one of those jobs I was off on for Ozpin, we've been through a lot together over the last few months." James let out a hiss through clenched teeth when Pietro touched something sensitive.

"This is why you're supposed to come in for regular check-ups, there are some bad wires in here I'm going to have to replace." fishing out the correct pieces Pietro continued saying, "But good, ever since you originally got these installed I haven't noticed you getting close with anyone. Cut yourself off from everyone at your school, personal life, and focused purely on working that new job, cut yourself off from your father-"

"I did not cut myself off from him!" James snapped lightly sitting up from his reclined position before easing back and saying in a more soft voice, "He's the one who ruined our relationship. You know that."

"Apologies I spoke out of turn, what I mean is I'm just happy to see you in such high spirits. You were so depressed-apologie again James, I can't help but start rambling. Why don't you talk and tell me about what you've been up to lately?" the old man resigned himself.

"Ozpin passed away after I finished my last job, left me with a bunch of money I have no idea what to do with." James let out a heavy breath and tried to ignore the prodding as Pietro came up to work at the pieces on his hip.

Moving up further yet again Pietro said, "I'm sorry to hear that, I know you two were close." Though Oz, James, and Pietro all had their own ideas of what that closeness meant. "You're holding up alright I hope since his passing?"

"Yeah-OW fuck!" James sat up quickly when the man pried open one of the slightly rusted panels on James' right arm. Hissing through his teeth he lay back slowly, "Guess that's what I get for not taking care of it properly. But yes I'm doing alright, Qrow is a good distraction." he said with great fondness.

"I'd like to hear more about him, I've got some pieces to replace and it's going to be painful because of the rust James, try to distract yourself."

"Great.." James grumbled but thought just where to start.

A bit after two in the afternoon Qrow with his noisy footsteps came barging into the shop, and with good timing, since James was redressed and just letting Pietro finish fiddling with his handpiece and the fingers.

"Hope I was out long enough," Qrow said casually holding a plastic bag with hot food inside, the wonderful smell filling the shop. He pulled up a seat next to the medical chair James was sitting up in now, "Either of you want some food, the guy said they're meat buns but not like the ones made in Mistral!"

"That sounds so good right now." James said and held out his free hand for one, "Wait, how did you get a whole bag of them without any money?" He wasn't concerned about Qrow stealing, he wouldn't do that, but if he'd done something to call attention to himself James wasn't going to be happy.

"I got hungry so I stopped by the food market to eat some free samples, I got talking with this guy working a meat bun stand and he just let me take all of these with me. He was so flirting with me." Qrow sounded just a bit too pleased with himself and handed James one of the hot buns.

Frowning James stopped himself from saying anything by taking a big bite of the bun, there was no reason to be irritable with Qrow he hadn't done a single thing wrong. James wasn't his boyfriend, yet, and when he was then he would have the right to feel jealous towards another person flirting with Qrow.

"Yes, we're almost done then Pietro has some actual appointments to take care of," James said.

Sitting upright in his chair the old man patted James' arm, "All done, perfect timing. I do have appointments, lots of people who need my help but as I promised I'll get right on your _unopenable_ boxes right after. You two take the evening and go have fun out in Mantle, use my spare room for one more night and you two can head out first thing in the morning." Pietro gave James a look, one that was urging him to go take Qrow sightseeing, romantic stuff and the like.

"What sort of stuff is there to even do in a cold place like this?" Qrow frowned lightly which deepened just a slight when Pietro laughed at the cold comment.

"Lots actually. Shopping, dance clubs, sightseeing, you've already seen the food district." James said back, "Since we've got nothing else to do but wait let me show you some of the sights."

///

Their first stop was to get Qrow a scroll, he'd been reluctant at first even though it wasn't expensive, but holding it in his hands he had a very pleased look on his face as he stared at James' number in his contacts.

"I guess it's a good idea to have this just in case we get separated for some reason."

Happy that Qrow was acting positively James nodded, "I'm glad you like it, even if we're apart I want to be able to check up on you."

"Me too."

James' eyes widened slightly but then softened as a smile spread over his face, it had been a long time since anyone had worried about his wellbeing. Not even Ozpin had been too concerned over that. "You've never had alcohol before, have you? I know the perfect way to spend the evening."

This was the moment James had been waiting for.

He'd thought about this plenty and after a quick stop at a local shop, he took Qrow back outside of the city walls but not far out, there was a small snowy mountain with premade steps that they climbed to the top as the evening sun was making its last descent on the horizon. Not that Qrow would know, but James did having grown up in Atlas and Mantle, this was a famous lovers spot known for its solitude and beauty at night and perfect for confessing feelings.

At the top, there was a small but sturdy platform they settled down next to each other on as James wrapped the large blanket he'd bought around them and turned the heat on. "Hmm, this dust powered blanket was an awesome idea." Qrow said snuggling into it and pressing his shoulder into James' to stay close.

Popping open a bottle of wine they shared it drink after drink, passing it between them as they enjoyed each other's company mostly in silence. James had grabbed a bottle with very little alcohol content, just enough for them to have a taste but the drink was far more fermented grape than alcohol. James wouldn't risk one of them getting drunk and ruining the evening.

The stars began to show themselves, James slipped one arm around Qrow's waist and his other out of the blanket to start pointing out constellations.

"I've never noticed how pretty the stars are... _wow_ holy shit, James what is that?"

The sky began to light up in all colors in the far distance, you wouldn't be able to see it within the city due to the walls and buildings. Outside of the city was the only place to get a good view unless you lived on Atlas.

"It's called an aurora, happens out here most nights. Beautiful isn't it?" James asked while looking only at Qrow, watching his companion's eyes sparkle staring at the phenomenon in the sky.

Qrow's red eyes were sparkling and that was partly because of the tears filling his eyes that he quickly rubbed away with his sleeve, a smile wide on his face as he smushed his head heavily onto James' shoulder. "I feel so happy right now, I don't think I've ever felt this happy before."

"I'm glad you feel that way cause, because..." James sucked in a breath of cold air trying to build up his courage. Funny how he could face Salem without hesitation but when it came to speaking his feelings he was practically shaking. "I...Qrow I um.." shit, this throat had dried up and all of the words had gotten stuck in his mouth.

He would not chicken out, he would not this time! James lifted his hand that wasn't around Qrow's waist and touched the other's chin, "I just want to show you how I feel because I'm weak and can't say it!" A bit too roughly James clanged his mouth against Qrow's and clenched his eyes shut.

The kiss was warm and only lasted a moment before James pulled away and opened his eyes, well the good thing was Qrow hadn't gotten mad and punched him in the jaw. "Idiot!" Qrow squeaked and yanked the warm blanket over his head to hide his embarrassment. "Was all of today a date!?"

"If you'd like it to be, I would like that. I like you, a lot I'm just complete shit with saying it. I'm sorry maybe it was too forward to kiss you." James pulled his side of the blanket up over his head so they were both underneath, then he opened his scroll letting the small light illuminate their faces.

"Of course I like you." The look on Qrow's face and the sound of his voice told James all he needed to know.

They had talked about this, how this was going to be a fresh start for them both in life, that didn't mean accepting happiness was going to be easy for someone with so much guilt over the things he'd done before.

"We can go at whatever pace you want, as long as you allow me to stay at your side I'm happy," he assured, touching his hand over Qrow's. 

"You're so cheesy...but slow, slow sounds good. We can start with you kissing me again."

This time when James kissed Qrow the other leaned in and tilted his head to meet it and their lips melded together properly and with a small noise that escaped Qrow's mouth. "Mn."

Cuddled under their heated blanket they kissed for a while, nothing too heated just gentle kisses, all being exchanged under the beautiful starry and aurora filled sky.

///

James remembered falling asleep with Qrow in his arms cuddled in the bed at the back of Pietro's workshop but when he woke up the next day he was alone. Groggily he slinked out of bed with a wide yawn and stopped to relieve himself in the bathroom.

"You're finally up." Qrow greeted when James stepped out into the main room, "You're cute with that messy bedhead!" he teased and laughed at the older man.

Biting his bottom lip with a playful and sleepy frown James ran a hand through his hair trying to smooth it down but it just didn't want to stay, actually he made it worse and random pieces were sticking up that weren't before which made Qrow's laughter grow louder.

"Hey don't laugh!" James whined, never in his life had he whined at anyone else. A few long steps forward he cupped Qrow's face in his hands and ruffled the other's hair to make it a matching mess, "Much better." he smirked.

Qrow didn't look all too upset and looked up at him with his rusty red-colored eyes and gently took a hold of the front of James' shirt and leaned up on his toes, James leaned down to meet him in a brief kiss. Just barely a peck of the lips but it left them both with sappy looks on their faces.

Nothing calm could ever last for them, they both should have known that. Pietro came barging in and rolled over in his wheelchair shoving a pack into James' hands. "You two need to leave. Now. I don't know how but your father knows that you're in Mantle and he's sending out his personal huntsmen to track you down. He's angry about something, fiercely angry."

"Shit!" that kicked James into action as he swore several more times under his breath and grabbing Qrow's hand in his own hurrying towards the door. "Pietro thanks, I owe you! You've got my scroll number if there's ever anything I can do to repay you!"

"Right now you can repay me by not getting caught!" the kind man snapped but it was out of care, neither James nor Qrow took it personally and dashed out the door hand in hand through the winding backroads of Mantle.

"How did he know we were here!?" James asked out loud not expecting an answer.

"That...might be my fault." Qrow hesitantly laughed with a nervous chill, "I'll explain once we get settled on the ship, I may have done something stupid."

They made it out through the same crack in the wall they'd come in through and made it to their ship easy enough, only thanks to Pietro's warning ahead of time. James disconnected any part of the ship that could be tracked through Atlas technology, forcing him to fly by hand instead of autopilot for the time being and took off at high speed headed out towards the ocean. "Qrow, tell me what you did." his voice was dead serious and lacking all humor.

"I may have snuck my way into your father's company and leaked some of his illegal activity to the public...It's not my fault, they made it so easy! Seriously if your father doesn't have the edge up on us knowing that we're around it is _incredibly_ easy to talk or break your way into that awful facility!" Qrow's arms were crossed tightly over his chest, he had his own personal vendetta against General Ironwood because of that whole torture thing the last time they were here but he would have thought James would be happy.

A bit miffed James bit his inner cheek, "It's not that I'm...unhappy about it, but I don't think this is the way it should have been done. And I wish you would have told me first."

"Well it's already done, you might as well just enjoy the aftermath," Qrow said with no shame and picked up the pack Pietro had given them to sort through it. Two small lockboxes as promised, a package of now cold meat buns, and a letter addressed to James.

"It's so damn hard to be mad at you when all I can think about is kissing you." but for now he had to settle with keeping an eye on where they flew and watching Qrow fidget by playing with his rings.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be the start of a good life together, but when life hits Qrow hard it hits him like a giant boulder.

Their small airship pulled to a low hover several feet above the ocean surface and then gently touched down as the float devices inflated along the base.

"Cool, I didn't know these things had a sort of boat mode." Qrow said opening the side door and looking down at the water that was sparkling under the bright moon and starlight, nothing else in sight. No land anywhere near them.

"Just the smaller ones like this do," James said walking up to Qrow's side and slipping an arm around his waist to tug him close, he still wasn't happy about Qrow going and ruining his father's career without his help but he had also decided to pick his battles. This wasn't an important one, he didn't want to go back to Atlas or Mantle anytime soon.

Qrow was happy enough with the outcome, a light smile on his face as he leaned into James' side and closed his eyes in bliss for a moment. "This spot is quiet, is this where you want to drop it?"

"Yes," James said softly and stepped into the ship for a moment and brought out a small box measuring five inches across on each side and carefully cradling Ozpin's container of energy inside of it.

The pair of boxes Pietro had given them were the same, made of a very strong and heavy metal used rarely in Atlas because of just how impossible it was to work with and shape in large quantities. Once sealed closed the boxes weren't designed to open again by any lock or combination and the metal assured that only a gargantuan force could break it open, their last line of defense would be the ocean itself.

"Anything you want to say? I would but uh, I only met the man once." Qrow said awkwardly but trying to be sensitive, this was essentially a funeral and as much as he hadn't cared for Ozpin the old bastard was important to James. He needed to attempt to be sensitive.

"No, I think everything was quite clear between us two." Kneeling down James held out the box and let it drop into the ocean, quickly sinking into the dark water until they couldn't see it any longer. Standing back up James' had a sterile and unreadable look in his eyes and closed the door and pressed a few buttons making the inside of the ship unfold a bed.

"James, are you alright? You can tell me..." he called, following as James faced one side of the ship and braced himself with a hand on the wall. Qrow moved close and leaned his forehead against James' back, almost gasping when he heard a tiny sniffle in James' chest then curled his arms around the taller man's middle.

"I'm fine." James cleared his throat and collected himself as he turned around, smiling lightly but it didn't reach his eyes. "What I'd like right now is to lay in bed with you and sleep."

Qrow tried to pretend not to see the glassy overlay to James' deep blue eyes and nodded, "Okay."

///

_"Having a nice life without me?" Salem's voice rang in his ears but Qrow couldn't see anything, couldn't move. "You'll miss me sooner or later, perhaps you hated me but I'm the one person your bad luck could never harm."_

He didn't know what but _something_ woke Qrow, it wasn't the beginning of that nightmare though he was glad to wake before it could have continued. His head throbbed and slowly he pulled out of James' warm arms that were tangled around his chest and waist, bare feet touching the cold floor of the airship.

Something didn't feel right, something was making his stomach do flips and not in the _James kissed me_ excited flips. Must be the way that the ocean was rocking the ship, it wasn't calm as it had been earlier but agitated with big rolls of waves drifting them around.

Checking the tracker they had drifted far, only miles away from the very northern tip of Anima which was to the southeast of Atlas and Mantle, the continent he and James had met. Turning off the screen Qrow yawned and leaned over the main console to get a good look out the front windshield, squinting his eyes his stomach dropped.

They appeared far off and were barely distinguishable from the early morning stars that had yet to disappear with the lights, but Qrow saw them. Two large Atlas ships headed directly for them with their guns loaded and ready to fire.

Qrow ran back over to the bed and shook James' arm, "James, James wake up! We have to get going, I don't know how to fly this thing!" He must have startled James from his own bad dream, he sat up with a cool sweat on his forehead and neck and with a hard gasp grabbing at Qrow's hands that were on him.

Taking a moment to look around and realize where he was James pushed out of bed, "What's wrong?"

"Atlas ships, two that managed to track us somehow! We're near Anima maybe we can lose them there!" he urged and rushed to the secondary pilot seat to strap in as James did the same in the main seat, starting the engine and getting the airship mode going instead of the floatation devices.

"That's impossible, there's no way they tracked us that far! Just pure bad luck..."

"Bad luck always seems to follow me," Qrow grumbled recalling his dream just as the ship lifted into the air and fled towards Anima.

Their craft was made for maneuverability and stealth, getting in and out of places quickly but being small enough that it would be harder to miss. Unlike the large ones following them that were gaining on them quickly putting all of their engine thrust into cutting the space between them down enough to fire their guns.

As their small ship sped forward as fast as it could Qrow unbuckled from his seat and rushed over to the bay door, pressing the button to open the hatch.

"Qrow what do you think you're doing!?" James called with incredible concern in his tone.

Feeling the gusts of air tickle through his hair and along his skin, not bothering to answer Qrow closed his eyes and held onto the railing so as not to accidentally slip out and fall. "Come on, comeoncomeon!" he hurriedly murmured to himself and tried to call forth all of his aura, his semblance, anything that would work for him.

Only moments passed but James must have hit the emergency close button just as bullets started firing and missed Qrow by a few hairs, snapping his eyes open he rushed back to his seat and strapped in. "I almost had it! If I could just fly I could sabotage their ships and be rid of them!"

"It's not worth you getting shot at!"

Okay he couldn't argue with that, Qrow had once had a death wish but not anymore, his reason for living was the person next to him. He wasn't going to dictate every single thing he did to make James happy but just knowing the man was in this world and that they were close was enough to give Qrow a reason to go through his life.

"Alright sorry! I just thought I could force it out and help." he apologized and looked down ignoring the pelting sounds of bullets hitting their rear as they made it over land, no civilizations around this area, that was good and bad.

"Qrow, I need you to fly the ship." James said suddenly, "All you have to do is keep us in the air I'm going to fire at them and try to force them down so we can get away. Don't look at me like that I don't like this either, just do this for me!" he declared and let go of the wheel getting up just as Qrow grabbed a hold on his co-pilot wheel.

"Be careful Jim!" he slipped the nickname in without thinking.

Qrow tried to keep his hands steady on the wheel and his eyes on the air in front of him but he desperately wanted to look back and check on his companion. Something harder hit their rear than just basic bullets out of nowhere and Qrow just barely managed to keep them from crashing into the treetops but his heart dropped when he heard a thud from behind him.

"Jim?...Jim!? James answer me dammit!" Turning his head quickly Qrow barely saw what happened, just James on the ground with blood all over his face, "James!" he yelled with a visceral urgency.

Another large explosive shell slammed into the side of their ship this time and without experience or a calm mind Qrow couldn't prevent their ship from slamming into trees this time, everything went out of his control as the ship spun all around slamming into tree after tree and crashing into the ground.

Qrow blacked out for a few solid moments before coming back to himself with a groan, and upside down. _Engine rupture, explosion imminent!_ the main screen displayed with flashing lights and Qrow could smell gas and smoke. "Shit!" he panicked, ripping off his seatbelt and falling on his face and crying out with a sharp pain that ran up his spine from the impact and blood dripped from his nose.

Scrambling up on pure adrenaline Qrow rushed to where James had landed and didn't look at him, he couldn't bare checking on his physical health in his rushed state of mine. He used every bit of strength he had to drag James out of the ship and into the thick brush just as the ship exploded.

Qrow curled himself over James' top half and just in time his aura flared up to shield them though only from a burst of fire that calmed down soon after, looking down the young man panted heavily. "James, James wake up please don't be dead." his voice cracked and he tapped the man's bloody cheek.

Blue eyes opened just a sliver looking up at Qrow but slipped back shut just as quickly. "Not dead, thank goodness." that and he could feel James' chest rising and falling with strong breaths and the steady but fast beat of his heart with a hand on his chest.

The two ships that had been following them hovered for several minutes but not seeing anyone leave the burning ship, and not noticing them hiding away in the brush, they left the area and headed back to Atlas. "Assholes.." Qrow grumbled and felt his eyes going dark as his head throbbing intensified.

///

Qrow woke up in the same place he had passed out, right next to James in the dirt only several hours later when the sun was actually in the sky instead of just rising, coughing out some dirt he rubbed his face smearing the dirt around along with dried blood instead of wiping it away.

Looking over at James who was in a similar state, alive and breathing but he had a nasty gash along his hairline that hadn't quite stopped bleeding. "Let's take care of that shall we?"

Touching his hands to James' chest Qrow pulled forth all of his aura he could muster and pushed it into the other man and forced the head wound closed. "Guess this is what I get for causing trouble in Atlas huh?"

Blue eyes opened and looked up at him then widened exponentially, with a shove of his metal arm flung Qrow away from him and onto the ground himself.

"What...what's going on?" James looked around with a freaked out look on his face and looking at the blood smearing his clothes along with the singes from getting caught in the fire. "You," he said accusatory and his eyes hardened, pushing himself up to his unsteady knees as they wobbled but he stepped forward anyways to tower over Qrow on the ground.

"I recognize you, you're one of Salem's little pets I've heard about and-and what did you say before, about causing trouble in Atlas?" Quickly James patted himself down finding one gun holstered but his other missing, he must have dropped it in the ship.

"What?..." Qrow breathed out in disbelief, had James hit his head that hard and that gash really knocked the sense out of him? "No, James listen-!"

"Don't speak!" James bellowed loudly, "My head hurts and I can't remember why I'm...wherever we are, where you are...I can't remember!" he yelled in frustration. "But you know my name so we've met, tell me the truth about what was going on here or you won't like the consequences." he threatened and touched a hand to his gun.

"We-We were traveling together, the ship got attacked and we crashed." Qrow tried to find his confidence, his voice, but if James didn't remember who he was then he would only think they were enemies. "You hit your head James, you should sit down so we can talk about this." he tried to plead, "We're....friends." Qrow decided to go with that instead of disclosing the full truth, James would never believe that with how he was right now.

"Bullshit, don't try to get me to sympathize with a murderous bag of filth." James spat out, "It's fine I'll just call Ozpin and see what he has to say." Fishing around James found his scroll and tapped on Oz's icon and waited as it started to ring.

Qrow's rusty red eyes started to sadden and he slowly moved to sit up and cross his legs to rest on the ground, he felt exhausted after using whatever aura he could to heal James' head. "James he isn't going to answer...he's dead. You've got to remember that right? We just buried him, together."

The other just frowned deeply when Oz didn't answer, he tried two more times but nothing, he clearly didn't believe Qrow. "He'll call me back within a day, for now we'll try to find a village or somewhere I can clean up. You're coming with and I'm not letting you out of my sight." With a large step forward James reached and with his nonmetal hand yanking Qrow up from where he sat.

Letting out a gasp of pain Qrow's mind briefly flashbacked again to when they had first met, something similar had happened. But this time James pulled back quickly when Qrow looked in pain and almost seemed apologetic, out of instinct perhaps?

"Fine, I'm not leaving you anyway. Maybe after walking off your adrenaline your mind will snap back and you won't act...like this." Qrow huffed and turned towards their burnt to a crisp ship, "I'll be right back, there are a few things I need to dig out of there."

James waited leaning back against a tree with his arms crossed, watching intently in case Qrow was going to try something funny but found himself feeling relaxed in the other's presence. He didn't feel like he was around an enemy, there was something familiar between them that he couldn't place or remember.

///

Thankfully where they had landed was not a hugely thick forest, it was light and easy to see any trouble and for once to their luck, Grimm were nowhere in sight, for the moment.

James was still roughed up but even with his weak aura it was slowly healing him as they walked, fixing the pulled and exhausted muscles in his legs and slowly erasing the scar along his hairline. Qrow, on the other hand, his limp was getting worse the harder they pushed on and his nose had begun to bleed again.

"I think I need to sit for a bit James..." Slipping down to the ground Qrow blinked his eyes quickly keeping himself from passing out.

"Why aren't you using your aura to heal yourself?" James asked walking back to Qrow from where he'd been walking ahead.

"You don't remember but there was an incident and my aura hasn't recovered, I can't hold more than a below-average aura level and can't activate my semblance." Right now Qrow was just happy James wasn't actively calling him a liar over this, it was fakable but someone in Qrow's position had no reason not to heal themself when their aura allowed for it.

"But just as I was waking up before I felt an aura that wasn't mine, yours..." James looked at his hands.

With a small smile Qrow nodded, "At that moment I was able to use some but I probably shouldn't have, you weren't dying and now my aura is drained beyond what it was. What can I say? I panicked."

"I've heard of you but you're far different than I expected...aren't Salem's followers supposed to be heartless killers?" James touched his forehead and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Hah. This reminds me of the first few days when we met..." Glancing up at James he had a growing urge to curl up in the man's arms and hug him close, he wanted his James back. The one that he'd been through everything with. "I've caught my breath, let's keep going," Qrow said without answering James' question.

Only a few steps on his pained leg and Qrow stumbled but a strong hand caught under his arm to keep him steady, "James?" he murmured.

The older man looked embarrassed like he'd just moved on his own without thinking, he looked away from Qrow but didn't remove his hand helping him walk. "What's your name? I don't want to just call you _you_."

"Qrow and before you ask, spelled Q-R-O-W, so not quite like the bird."

"Qrow." James tested the name but otherwise they walked, and limped, in silence.

It was a day and a half of walking before Qrow hit his limit, he'd thought things would be okay between them but without his memories James' suspicion of Qrow overpowered the instincts that told him that they were companions, not enemies.

He'd asked Qrow a lot of questions about Salem, if he knew anything about Ozpin, more about what they were doing in Anima together or what crashed their ship, each time Qrow gave the bare minimum of information or dodged it all together. The truth would only sound like a lie or James would take it the wrong way, best to let the memories return on their own but it was making the tension between them heighten to a whole new level.

Because of his distrust James was pushing them hard to find a settlement so that he could call in and hopefully get a ride from someone out towards Vale to find an Ozpin that wasn't there. Between the almost constant arguments and no time to rest his weary body he couldn't take it anymore.

Hearing the sound of trickling water in a small river Qrow shoved James' hand away from where he was being practically dragged around from now instead of being helped along. "Enough, I can't take any more of this I'm taking a break!"

Taking a seat at the river Qrow started pulling his clothes off until he was in a tank top and boxers and shoving his feet into the water, his body was covered in sweat from overexertion and the cold water felt like pure ice on his ice.

"Get up." James ordered standing behind him, "I want to get somewhere where I can get actual answers so get up.Now."

"Go fuck yourself..." Qrow mumbled without looking, staring at his rippling reflection, dipping a hand in he brought it up to his face and hair to start cooling himself down. He took in a few slow and deep breathes pushing down the rising anxiety in his chest that had only been at bay due to his focus on walking.

"What did you just say?" James warned giving Qrow a chance to take what he'd said back.

God he hated crying, Qrow did not want to cry especially in front of this James, but he just couldn't hold it back anymore. This was not how things were supposed to go, he and James were supposed to be a team that supported each other, love each other...

He needed someone to help hold him up but not in the physical sense, needed James to care about his wellbeing, to encourage him. That would give him the hope and the energy to do the same back, but if that James never came back what was he even doing in this life?

Too many thoughts ran through his mind, terrible ones, and a heavy sob tore through his throat covering his face with his hands.

"Ah...shit, are you _crying_?" James asked uncomfortably, "I know I'm an asshole but that's no reason to fucking cry."

"You don't understand." he said in as steady a voice as he could muster and reached to cup handfuls of water and rub them over his face to wash away the dirt, blood, and tears, "I'm broken, I'm not whole without you by my side...I just want the James I know back." Not even two days without him and Qrow had broken down.

"Qrow calm down."

"I can't!" he cried out as the sobs shook his whole body, the world felt like it was ending and he couldn't stop the panic attack from consuming him whole.

His mixture of physical exhaustion and now emotional one Qrow held a hand over his stomach and leaned over the water throwing up everything in his stomach.

///

James couldn't remember ever feeling this much guilt at once but after watching Qrow sob and breath rapidly for a few moments he couldn't take it anymore. That's how he'd ended up with his feet in the river next to the other man, a head resting in his lap and running his fingers through Qrow's hair as the sobs slowed.

"I can't remember it...but you can't be lying, there has to be something between us that isn't being enemies, we've been through shit together or...or something. I can feel it." James tapped a hand over his heart, "My head tells me it can't be true but my heart is telling me a different story, the way I feel and act around you unconsciously shows that."

"You mean it?" Qrow trembled and sniffled hard holding onto the rolled-up portion of one of James' pants, "I don't want to go back to you disliking me, hating me, I can't stand not being with you."

"Shh it's alright, just calm down I'm not going anywhere. We'll figure this out, whether you're lying or not I am intent on getting my memories back, so as long as you're telling the truth there's no need to cry. Understand?" James blushed lightly when Qrow took his metal hand and pressed it over his forehead then nodded.

"Nice and cold..." Qrow whispered almost inaudibly.

"Aww what a sweet scene we have here, eh boys?" a hefty voice stepped forward from the shadows of the nearby trees and suddenly they were surrounded by several armed figures. "Both of you stand up, drop your packs and weapons, don't fight back or we'll be forced to kill you both instead of just rob you."

Slowly they both moved to their feet dropping all of their things, Qrow had debated fighting back. He was quick but in his state there was no way he could win one on five before James was shot, stabbed, harmed, something he couldn't prevent from all of these men at once.

Qrow's eyes went unbearably wide as they rifled through his pack and pulled out the small cube containing Salem's magically contained aura and power but he kept his mouth sealed tight, he didn't want them to think it was anything more important than a box.

How had this day turned into such a shit show?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Alright next chapter is officially going to be the last one and get everything wrapped up. Happy ending I promise!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qrow and James finally get their happy ending, a new beginning together.

Being brought to a camp not too far off from where they'd been surrounded both James and Qrow had their arms tied behind their back tightly with rope and once in the middle of the barren camp made of just a few tents and a fire that they were shoved down to their knees in the dirt near.

Surveying the area Qrow's red eyes flickered all around, only five small basic tents, one for each man so likely there weren't any other's in this group of bandits. They had a small hoard of food, weapons and other miscellaneous objects piled unorganized in an open crate between two tents.

The men were all lightly armed, three had guns, one had a spear weapon, and the other a fancy looking sword. They were being watched by four as the tallest man with long brown hair, the sword holder, walked around them fully twice. "This one we can scrap for parts and sell whatever we can, from both sides of his body," he smirked looking at James.

Stepping in front of Qrow he only smiled as red eyes glared up at him, "This one I'm not sure, I'm sure we can find some use for him." He roughly grabbed Qrow's chin to look him over, "Unusual eyes, I like that."

To the side, James wasn't glaring but his eyes were firing daggers as he watched the way this bandit looked at Qrow, touched Qrow, spoke to him like he was an object. Jealousy and anger filled his chest and he ranked at the ropes tying his wrists but stopped when he felt it snape almost completely. No one had noticed so he waited for the right moment.

"The only reason you're all alive right now is because he's here and safe." Qrow answered in a low voice glancing over to James and then back at the bandit, "If you do anything to him nothing is holding me back from killing all five of you."

"How cute that you think you could draw any blood from me let alone kill all of us," he smirked and chuckled. Qrow turned his head and sunk his teeth into the gloved hand with all his strength, "Fucking shit!" the bandit pulled away hard holding his hand.

Qrow spat out the small bit of blood in his mouth and leaned his head to wipe his chin on the shoulder of his shirt. "What were you just saying?"

"Little fucker!" the bleeding man squealed.

These idiots weren't smart or intimidating, they'd just gotten lucky catching Qrow and James off guard. Once Qrow found an opening he would slice through all of them with complete murderous intent for even suggesting scrapping James for parts.

One of the men with a gun, who was bald, kicked Qrow from behind and shoved him over into the dirt, pressing his heavy boot into Qrow's shoulders to keep him down. "Think you're tough do ya?"

"Leave him alone!" James snarled and was about to break the rest of the rope binding him but a sharp pain in his head stopped him. "Nn.." he grunted clenching his eyes closed for just a moment. This had happened before, he could remember that, maybe not this exactly. Qrow had protected him before, from being stabbed, from getting himself killed, it wasn't all back yet but Qrow hadn't lied to him. They were close, important to each other.

"I'm fine." Qrow coughed out a mouthful of dirt, "There's nothing these idiots can do to me that I haven't had worse." Normally when he said something like that it was with the drowning memories of pain but today it was with pride that he'd survived all of that and use that pain to get him through bad situations like this.

Still, with his hand covered in blood the long-haired man moved forward and touched the flat edge of his sword to the back of Qrow's neck, "Is that so?" he didn't sound happy but took Qrow's words as a challenge. "I'll make you a deal, if you can take what I do to you until the sun starts coming up without screaming, I'll let you both go with all of your stuff."

"What?" James breathed out, "No fuck that!"

"Deal," Qrow said anyways.

"Qrow no, don't you dare! It doesn't matter if you can, I won't let them torture you!" The other men laughed and didn't take either of them seriously thinking they were both restrained and unable to fight back. The bald man with the spear walked over to the small campfire that was just a few embers and picked up a small log with a burning edge that sizzled.

"Let's start with this."

"Don't!" when that burning log got close to Qrow he just couldn't take it, his wish to protect someone close to him was overwhelming. Snapping the fragments of rope left James was up in a split second to his feet and grabbing the log and shoving it right back into the bandit's face.

The bald bandit screamed dropping his weapon and holding his face where he'd been burned, the other four turned to attack until an arrow whizzed through camp straight through the bald bandit's heart, blood spurted from his chest and back as he fell over dead on top of the protruding arrow.

Another arrow shot through not long after just barely missing James' face as he moved out of the way.

"Raid!" the man with the sword yelled, the remaining four of them getting into a fighting position and temporarily forgetting about their captives. 

Two female bandits with masks rushed out through their hiding place in the nearby trees and rushed the men, all of them clashing and exploding in a fight of blades, bullets, and semblances.

James dove and grabbed the rope where Qrow was restrained and lifted him up and carrying him awkwardly to the edge of the camp before ripping the rope away with his metal hand. "Are you okay!?"

"I'm fine, get back!" Qrow said urgently pushing himself up to his hands and knees, looking just several feet away was the stockpile. Most of it was food and crap that wasn't useful but Qrow eyed his weapon but before he could move for it James caught him by the arm.

"Don't get into that fight, you'll get killed!"

Qrow smiled and his eyes softened, touching a hand to James' cheek he said, "I promise I won't die, but I can't let these bandits go after all of this, it's too risky. Trust me?"

Looking to Qrow and then the fight going on James watched the two women had taken out two more of the men making it an even fight. "I trust you."

They both went for the weapon stash, James found his guns easy enough but all of his ammo was nowhere in sight, probably somewhere in this huge trash pile. "Shit, I'll find them and back you up just be careful!"

Qrow was already standing and pressed the lever of his sword, gears whirled transforming it into a scythe. Seeing Qrow look so confident doing something so dangerous and with a huge heavy scythe was breathtaking to James, it brought more memories to the surface that he didn't have time to process in the commotion.

In a blur Qrow was gone, fast as ever and joining the fight. The male bandits were easy to dispose of but the women not so much, even in his weakened state Qrow was holding his own between the two. To keep up with the faster pace at such close range Qrow was forced to collapse his scythe back into a sword making it easier to block both women slicing at his skin, he needed to remind himself several times to be careful as he didn't have his aura to fall back on if he took a hit.

The two women had him backed into a corner with his fighting, they were both skilled and hard fighters used to tag-team fighting. Qrow narrowly stumbled back when the long and dark-haired woman with a full mask sliced at him and left him open to the short-haired woman with the simple bandana over her face to cut at him, luckily he had back up. James fire two shots having found some ammunition, a warning shot to back both ladies up from Qrow and another directly after into the bandana bandit's leg.

It pierced through her leg with no time to deflect it with aura, she fell holding her leg with a painful outcry.

"Vernal!" the other woman called and snarled, "You sit back and heal your leg, I've got this one." There was a slight bit of comradery here, an unspoken agreement to fight one on one with both of their assisted help standing off to the side.

Readying their swords both Qrow and the bandit surged forward with speed and strength, their swords meeting with heavy clangs and violent movements intended to kill. This was the first time James could remember seeing anyone able to hold their own properly against Qrow, even if he was at disadvantage due to his health, this bandit was strong and held a similar type of drive that Qrow did while fighting.

Qrow's strength was wearing down, his stamina almost gone but he kept pushing himself to fight. He wasn't going to let any bandit come between him and the life he'd come to appreciate and wish to continue. He needed to get the edge up and quickly.

Jumping back Qrow planted his feet with perfect balance and grace and plunged himself forward gathering momentum for one of his huge strikes, his red eyes going wide when his sword was stopped with little effort by the other's block, they both went screeching back with their feet deep in the dirt.

The energy wave that came off of such a strong attack, like the one that had sliced trees apart with his fight against Tyrian, did the same here but also sliced off half of the woman's mask. It fell to the ground revealing half of her pale face and red eye that Qrow recognized even after so many years apart.

"Ra...Raven?"

"Qrow?" she asked back and slowly they both lowered their weapons and Raven pulled the remaining half of her mask off and tossed it aside. "It can't be you...can it?"

"Yeah...er Yes, it's me! Raven I..." stowing his sword on his back Qrow lost his voice for a moment, taking everything in and just seeing that this young woman in front of him was his sister that he thought he might never see again.

Qrow was going to reach out for her but Raven, as he always remembered she did, beat him to it and touched his shoulder as she smiled lightly. "Come stay at camp with us, we've got warm beds, hot food to go around, safety in numbers, then we can catch up...as long as Salem still isn't holding you on a leash?" her eyes were hopeful.

"No, we don't have to worry about her anymore. I'll tell you all about it once we get to your camp," he promised and looked over to James who upon seeing this fight was over walked over to help Vernal to her feet.

Her aura had closed up the gunshot to the point where it wasn't bleeding out but it was still hurt and tender to walk on. Raven headed over to help her walk, "You alright?" the two women started talking quietly to clear a few things up giving James time to walk over to Qrow to do the same.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine, I avoided getting hit-"

"No idiot." James smiled and cut him off, "But I am happy you're alright, I meant up here." he tapped a metal finger to Qrow's forehead gently, "We just found your sister." He still wasn't too happy with how things had gone with those male bandits but he could scold Qrow later for that, pick your battles he had to remind himself. And after making Qrow cry earlier also dampened his want to upset the other any further.

"Oh." Qrow took in a slow breath, "Not sure yet, still processing. But you're acting like you again, did you remember everything?"

"Mostly I think, we'll have time to talk things through after you get some time with your sister in her camp. No rushing, that was the deal right?" James asked and smiled a bit more when Qrow nodded and smiled back lightly.

"No, he can't come," Vernal said pointing at James with a stern look on her face, pulling her bandana down to hang at her neck. "It's nothing personal but our tribe's rule is that only family is allowed in, he qualifies because he's blood with Raven." she said gesturing to Qrow, "But you aren't."

"Sadly that's true, we can't take your friend to camp Qrow." Raven agreed without hesitation, "Those are the rules, always have been and always will be."

"I'm not going anywhere without him," Qrow said back with sturdy intent, he longed to go with his sister but no way in hell was he abandoning James especially after all that had happened in the last two days.

"Hang on guys." James chuckled lightly, "A reunion like this is supposed to be happy so all of you need to stop frowning so much. Ladies, would I possibly count as family enough if, well..." he reached a strong arm to lay it across Qrow's shoulders and hold him close, that was all the demonstration Raven needed as a realization filled her eyes.

"I see." she touched her chin and thought for a long moment, "I believe we can make an exception for that kind of relationship, but only because I trust my brother."

Vernal scoffed and rolled her eyes but mumbled, "If you say it's alright then I'll follow your lead Raven. Can we go home now? My ankle is killing me."

///

Qrow had not forgotten to retrieve all of his and James' things, including their sturdy small box with cosmic evil held inside. They also helped carry all of the other supplies back to camp, the dead bandits weren't going to need them anymore.

"What were you two doing out here anyway?" Qrow asked the two women.

"Those men were apart of our tribe not long ago but were unhappy with some changes, so they decided to discharge themselves from the main group. Stole a lot of our things, we were out doing clean up work is all." Raven said with a serious tone and a cold look to her eyes.

"They deserved it." Vernal spoke up, "Disgusting pigs all of them. They left because they were pissed Raven was chosen to be our next leader, they didn't want to follow a woman's orders."

"You're the leader?" Qrow's eyes went wide, "That means you make the rules."

"No I make decisions based upon the tribe laws, there's a difference," she said back.

"Still, that's amazing Raven. I always knew you'd grow up to be someone important, you have always been strong." the brother complimented and it was a subtle almost unseen thing but Raven's eyes sparkled and her face softened.

Entering camp Raven made sure everyone knew that Qrow and James were to be treated as friends, everyone seemed to accept it at just her word with no questions asked. The way people greeted her showed that everyone in this small tribe of presumable nomads respected Ravne a great deal.

Qrow and James were sat down at the currently extinguished fire pit and given a large bowl of food each as Raven went to take care of Vernal and a few other things. When she returned she and Qrow talked for a long time, hours, he told her most all of what had happened to him only leaving out some details like what exactly Salem had done to him all those years being under her thumb and some of the sappy things that had happened between himself and James.

In return he got to hear about Raven, Salem had kept her promise and let the young girl go stranding her in the jungles of Anima where the Branwen Tribe had picked her up and taken her in. It wasn't a normal loving family but they were family, they cared for each other and had raised her to be strong and clearly a good leader. And Qrow would say at least a halfway decent person seeing as she hadn't cut him down after realizing who he was just for being attached to Salem's name and possibly bringing trouble everywhere he went.

"I spent so many nights wondering if she'd let you go or if she just killed you outright." Qrow had always been too afraid to ask and scared to know the truth.

"I've done the same." Raven breathed out softly, "She told me that as long as I didn't seek you out that she would make sure you stayed alive and well....whatever well was by her standards." Regret laced her voice, Qrow understood that feeling, he regretted a lot that he'd been too cowardly to find his sister. It was a comfort to know she had done and also felt, the same.

Reaching he touched a hand over hers, she jumped slightly at being touched but settled quickly. "Oh!" Qrow exclaimed and held up his hand pulling off one ring and holding it out, "You should take this back."

"You held onto it for all of these years, how sentimental." she said teasingly but slipped the ring on and looked her hand over, "I'm happy to have it back, I can think of you while you're away whenever I see it."

"How do you know I don't want to stay here with you?"

"I would welcome that and I do not doubt that _you_ would fit in just fine, your...other half, I'm not so sure about." she glanced over to James who was on the other side of the fire pit talking with a few of the friendlier members of the tribe and a few kids around ten who were interested in his prosthetic arm.

"No, he'd never be able to live this way." Qrow agreed and looked over at the man fondly, "I'm allowed to come to see you sometimes aren't I?"

"Of course, nearly anytime, you're family." Raven agreed, "If you ever settle I'd be more than happy to fly out to visit you as well, but I wouldn't advise bringing James along with you here again. Once I can excuse but I'm not sure how accepting everyone in the tribe will be in the future, many of the older members are...particular, about that kind of stuff."

"I'll keep that in mind. I hope that I can fly again someday, if I have to be cautious in a fight without an aura I can deal with it but not being able to feel the wind in my wings is torture." he sighed with frustration.

"Hm." Raven made a small noise and touched her chin thinking something over, "Perhaps if I used some of my aura on you it would help? After all we were born together, the same blood flows through our veins and a similar aura as well, it might have a good effect on you."

"I'll....think on it, thank you either way."

///

Much later that night after Qrow and Raven had spoken themselves hoarse she showed Qrow and James to a tent with a cushy cot they could sleep in for the night. They snuggled close together not because the space was small, it was quite spacious for a basic tent and cot, but a general need to be against each other.

Qrow was hugging his arms around James' waist while the taller man nuzzled and stroked a hand through Qrow's dark strands of hair. They'd already apologized to each other, quite thoroughly in fact. One thing Qrow loved about James was that while they didn't always see eye to eye and sometimes argued but it never got to a volatile point or where they couldn't just apologize to each other and make things better.

"James?" he called softly keeping his eyes closed enjoying the feeling of being close.

"Yes?"

"After our little checklist is done, where do you want to go? Is there anything you want to do?" Qrow had been thinking about it himself but he couldn't decide so he was hoping for James to give input and maybe that would narrow down something in his own mind.

"Before we crashed I was thinking that I didn't want to settle down, I had this urge and need to be moving and doing something because I don't feel like I lived up to what Ozpin wanted me to do," James said.

Qrow wanted to argue and say that the only thing Ozpin had wanted for James was to die doing his dirty work, but he stayed quiet keeping his thoughts just to himself. "And now?"

"Now after everything I just want to live somewhere quiet, at least for a time being. I've been giving teaching a thought, I may not use it much but I did complete my military schooling with flying colors. I'm sure a combat school somewhere would hire me to help train young people to help finish off the Grimm still in the world." James stopped running his hand through Qrow's hair and settled back into the cot closing his eyes, "I want to be able to spend quality time with you instead of just getting moments like this between the chaos."

"I'd like that a lot, we should find somewhere like that. I'm sure I can find some job to keep me occupied wherever you get settled." They had enough crazy memories for several lifetimes but they were young, taking some time to enjoy each other would be nice and if they ever decided to let the wind blow them elsewhere they would do that together as well.

Early the next morning Qrow woke up to sneak out of bed to go discuss a few things with Raven.

"We're headed southeast as well, we could accompany you towards the ocean" Raven gladly said, "It'll take a few weeks to get there so we'll have some time together, and time for me to use my aura to coax yours out of hiding." She seemed very confident that the key to bringing Qrow's aura back was her own.

"Sounds great, glad I get to be with you even for a short while." Qrow let out a slow sigh and his face saddened, "I'd given up on having a family for so long, but now I have you and James."

Clearing her throat Raven had an odd look to her like she wasn't telling Qrow everything. "You'll always have me, and for his own sake I hope that man never hurts you or I will cut his throat. Have you decided where you'll be going after stopping by the ocean?"

"Not exactly, James and I talked and we agreed that we want to find somewhere quiet to live together for a while. I haven't been many places like that, wherever I go there seems to be trouble brewing." Qrow managed a small smile at the thought of his bad luck.

"I see, I think I may know the perfect place. I'd like to take you there when you're finished with your task, there's something I'd like to show you there anyways." 

Three weeks, that's how long they spent with the Branwen Tribe and living their ways.

Raven had been right, Qrow could easily get used to this type of life having fewer morals than James did. Sometimes they would steal and rob camps or villages, they could be cruel, but it was Raven's life and Qrow didn't have the right to tell her how to be a good person. James was unhappy with how the tribe worked, a tribe of bandits, but he turned a blind eye to it to keep the peace.

Every day Qrow got to spend time with Raven either fighting Grimm, infiltrators attacking the camp, eating, or at night when they would spend a long time with Raven using her aura on him. It was helping, her aura had a type of rejuvenating effect on his own though it was a minor effect, and he wasn't able to turn into a crow.

Every evening Qrow got to spend his time with James, eating together and spending time in their shared tent cuddled up and talking about things they'd been through some nights, and other nights talking about menial things that weren't important at all. It was like heaven, everything Qrow had ever wanted, people to love and that loved him back.

Though it was embarrassing a few mornings when he and James had come to breakfast later than usual and someone in the camp, never Raven, commented on how Qrow's lips were red and slightly swollen. It always brought a red flush to his face, he'd repeatedly scolded James about biting his lips when they made out because of that but the man kept doing it, and Qrow deep down loved it when he did.

In his own opinion, those weeks came to an end far too quickly, the smell of the sea was heavy as they rowed a borrowed longboat to get out into the deeper water, at least Raven promised it was only borrowed.

James had offered to row and Qrow was holding the small box in his lap that held his tormentor.

"Qrow." the man called softly catching Qrow deep in thought so much that he looked up with a tiny gasp.

"Yeah?"

"You alright?" he looked at Qrow with love and concern in his eyes but a comforting smile on his face, "We're going to get this done and she's never going to hurt you again."

"Ye...Yeah." he nodded, "My stomach feels all twisted up, I should be happy so I have no idea what's wrong with me. It's almost like...like I'm going to miss her, how pathetic is that?"

"Not pathetic at all." James stopped rowing just for a moment to touch Qrow's knee and squeeze it gently before going back to his rowing motion, "You were with her for so long, she messed you up and hurt you so much Qrow. That doesn't mean it's pathetic to grow somewhat fond of the one person you had constant in your life."

Qrow nodded again, "I think part of me will always miss her, but I also hate her _so_ much. She took everything from me, Raven, my free will, my life, it took me so long to get any of it back."

Dubbing that they'd gone far enough James stopped again and moved closer in the small boat to Qrow, "Do you want to throw it over? I can if you can't." he extended his metal hand for the heavy box, offering a choice.

"No I can, I think I can at least." with shaky hands Qrow lifted the box but then froze, other than the shaking, he didn't know what was holding him back but an anxious feeling started to consume his body.

"Qrow." James said and touched his hands over the younger man's, "Let me help you, with this, with everything. Love can't magically fix things but I do know that it's a good place to start healing, and I love you Qrow. I love you so much."

"Say that again." red eyes stared wide at James and the shaking in his hands stopped feeling strong ones cupping his own.

Smiling with watery eyes James said again, "I love you Qrow." Saying it for the first time had welled up a lot of emotion in James, his father and the military had always taught him to suppress things like that, but with Qrow he was able to feel freely.

Swiftly Qrow tossed the box into the ocean and threw himself into James' arms, hugging around his chest and leaning up to press their lips together in a soft kiss and nearly tipping their longboat over in the process.

"Woh!" James cried out when the boat rocked and slowly steadied and then started to laugh softly, "Let's try that again." Bringing his hands up to Qrow's cheeks he leaned down capturing Qrow's mouth with his own a bit deeper this time.

Qrow lost track of the minutes and completely forgot about the box sinking into the dark depths as they kissed, when James playfully bit his lip Qrow pulled back and ran a thumb over where he'd been nipped. "Ow," he whined but couldn't keep the smile off of his face. "I love you too," he whispered.

///

Just the three of them stepped out of a dark swirling portal that Raven had created, she'd promised to tell him the story behind that power someday soon.

They were in a soft and easy feeling forest with a pathway that had a sign saying a small town was nearby and the ferry boats to Vale weren't far off from there either. "This is a small island off of Vale called Patch, it's the most peaceful place I've ever been to."

Looking up the road there was a cozy looking house with a big yard and...a child running towards them?

A blur of long blond hair crashed into Raven's legs, "Mommy!"

Sliding down to her knees Raven touched the girl's chin to lift her head a bit, "Hello Yang." she smiled and said in a voice Qrow had never heard her use before, one of pure love and adoration. "I'll be visiting for the day and I also brought your Uncle Qrow along."

The girl, Yang, couldn't be any older than four, her hair was blond and her eyes were purple but she looked incredibly just like Raven even as young as she was. Her purple eyes widened and looked directly at Qrow, "Uncle Qrow!" she screamed and crashed directly into his legs toppling them both over as she hugged and squeezed his legs.

Qrow tried to stifle it but a laugh broke out and he ruffled the girl's hair only to have his hand slapped away, "Don't mess with the hair pal!"

"Such a little firecracker, she's...your daughter?" Getting them both back to their feet Qrow looked at Raven in amazement, his sister was a mother, _he_ was an uncle!

"Yes, this is the surprise I have for you. You have more family than you realize but please keep your mind open, the relationships and living situation in this house isn't normal by society standards." she looked only slightly nervous, it was almost invisible but Qrow could see the way her shoulders stiffened.

"Who is this?" Yang declared and pointed an accusatory finger at James who put his hands up in defense, "Is he bothering you Uncle Qrow? I'll beat him up for you!"

"What? No!" Qrow squeaked and watched Yang try to lung at James but Qrow picked her up under the armpits and let her swing her arms and shuffle her feet midair with so much energy he couldn't comprehend. "This is my—my boyfriend James."

"Oh." immediately her swinging stopped and Yang smiled brightly like a little ball of sunshine, "Nice to meet you Uncle James." Well that was easy and went better than either man had expected.

"Raven?" a new voice called from the doorway of the house as it creaked open, "Tai! Raven's here!" a woman close to their age with black hair that faded into red and carrying a small two-year-old girl with similar hair and large silver eyes rushed towards all of them and yanked Raven into a tight hug.

"Maaa!" the two-year-old shrieked and eagerly climbed her way into forcing Raven to hold her close in a hug to her chest.

"This is Summer." she rolled her eyes but leaned her head against the affectionate woman's, "And Ruby." happy to hear her name the small girl giggled and babbled a bunch of nonsense.

Finally releasing Raven the other woman looked the strangers near her home up and down, "Don't tell me, Qrow?" she guessed.

"How did you know?" Qrow blinked widely, this was so much chaos happening all at once. It had started with just a niece but now there was another woman, another young girl, and one other person at least still in the house.

"Raven told us about you of course, how could I possibly mistake those eyes? They're just like Raven's, beautiful." Summer looked at Raven and winked.

Heading inside they were sat on a small couch in the living room of the clean, but very lived in, home and nervously Qrow leaned his shoulder against James. "I can't believe any of this is happening."

James wrapped an arm around Qrow's shoulder and leaned to press a kiss to his temple, "I'm a bit overwhelmed myself." he whispered.

Raven wasn't kidding, this house wasn't normal by society standards. She, Summer, and the young man they met named Taiyang were all together romantically but only the two lived here full time while Raven visited while she could but stayed with her tribe. Then there was Yang, Raven and Tai's daughter, and then little Ruby who was Tai and Summer's daughter.

The two children crawled all over Qrow and James loving on their Uncles while the adults all pestered the couple with questions and a quick affection Qrow nor James were used to. They were accepted as family so quickly, even James who didn't technically have any blood ties here.

Not until late that night when the girls had tuckered themselves out and been tucked in bed did Qrow walk outside and look up at the stars alone. Raven was the first to come to see him.

"I have to get going, this trip wasn't planned and the tribe needs me. I know this is overwhelming but I thought you'd be happy, you've mentioned how important family is to you. Now you have more family than you could ever need."

"I am happy, just taking everything in." a soft smile on his face Qrow reached and pulled his sister into a hug. "I love you, and I love all of them already. I can tell already you did well finding people that love you properly."

Touching Qrow's back with both hands loosely Raven said back, "It took you longer, but you did as well. I've been watching James since we met and I think he's a good man. When you can fly again, and you will be able to, come to find me we'll go flying _together_." she said and slight dramaticism disappeared quickly into a dark portal.

Not long later James surprised him, walking outside silently and touching his back. "What are you thinking about?"

"Too much, I was just getting used to having you around and then Raven, now I— _we_ have four new members of our family. Not only that but we have a quiet place to settle down, near Vale where I'm sure we can find work, I feel like I've gotten everything I ever wanted." He was so happy but also slightly worried, there was usually a cost to all of this happiness. Maybe this once he'd be permitted it in exchange for his years of suffrage.

"Patch is perfect for what we were talking about, I have a feeling after a few days you'll feel like you've lived here your entire life." James gently joked and pulled Qrow to lean against his side and pressed a soft kiss to his temple. "I love you."

"Mn, I love you too." Qrow murmured under the night sky.

This was a place they could both truly spread their wings, together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading until the very end and to everyone who has left comments, kudos, and bookmarks! I love you all. <3  
> (Also my original idea was to give Qrow his sister back but then I thought...no, not happy enough. And decided to give him the entire STR family+nieces.) (I also apologize if any of this chapter is badly edited or written, I've had a very long week and I'm so tired but I was so excited to share the final chapter. I hope you enjoyed it!)


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